Spanish football is in mourning after the death of Jesús de Miguel, the 30-year-old Tenerife striker who died on Tuesday following a collision with Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono during a Segunda División match the previous day.
A farewell in his home town
Around 400 people gathered outside the church where a Mass was due to be held, following a funeral procession through the streets of his town, southwest of Madrid. Tenerife teammates carried his coffin into the church.
At the funeral home, the family thanked everyone who had sent messages, calls and expressions of affection, and asked for privacy as they grieve. In Navahermosa, the village where his parents were born and where his grandparents still live, flags have flown at half-mast since the town council declared three days of mourning.
Players call for postponed fixtures
The Spanish players’ union, AFE, has asked for all professional matches scheduled for this weekend to be postponed as a sign of respect. It said players in every category, consulted by the union, unanimously felt the next round of fixtures should not be played. The union acknowledged how difficult that would be to arrange and urged football authorities to put people ahead of sporting and financial interests.
Several games have already been moved this week, including Copa del Rey and Copa de la Reina ties, as well as the scheduled Tenerife, Andorra and Castellón matches this weekend. Castellón was De Miguel’s former club.
The incident and a tribute
De Miguel was struck in the air by Owono while waiting for the ball. Nearby players immediately alerted emergency services, and he was taken to hospital in Tenerife in a stable but serious condition. According to local media, he suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest, and despite several hours in intensive care he did not survive. His club said his neurological condition had worsened.
A respected goalscorer in Spain’s lower divisions, De Miguel only reached the professional level in 2024 with Castellón, scoring 16 goals in 35 matches as the club returned to the second division. He was also highly regarded at Tenerife, where he helped the club win promotion back to the second tier this season. A tribute will be held at the Tenerife stadium on Saturday evening.
Source: www.abc.com.py
