Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Ovono is „deeply affected“ by the death of Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel, while his teammate Lautaro Spatz said that the 25-year-old footballer would never intentionally hurt anyone.
„Those who know him are aware of what kind of person he is, how much he is suffering at this moment and that he would never intentionally hurt anyone,“ Spatz wrote. He added that Andorra’s players were „shocked, devastated and deeply affected“ by what happened. The incident occurred during the match between Tenerife and Andorra, which was level at 2-2. Seven minutes into stoppage time, Ovono came out towards the centre of the pitch to clear a long ball. As he moved, the goalkeeper’s knee visibly collided with De Miguel.
The forward remained motionless on the pitch while the medical team attended to him. He was then taken by ambulance from the Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez Stadium to hospital. Ovono was shown a red card and the match was abandoned. De Miguel died after the incident. The exact medical cause of death has not been made public, but according to the available information, the footballer suffered a serious injury followed by a medical collapse.
Spanish police have launched a routine investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter. Under Spanish law, every death that does not occur from natural causes automatically leads to a judicial investigation. The opening of the procedure does not mean that Ovono has been charged or that his guilt has been established. The incident occurred during a game-related action, and the investigation must clarify the circumstances surrounding the collision.
The Equatorial Guinea Football Federation expressed its support for him and said that he was going through „a situation of deep grief and sorrow“. Andorra said it would provide psychological support to anyone at the club who needs it.
„Unfortunate incidents can happen in football, but no one could have imagined that one of them would have such tragic consequences,“ Spatz wrote.