FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono has been handed a 12-match suspension for the collision with Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel, who died after the incident. The decision of the Disciplinary Committee of the Royal Spanish Football Federation was announced on Friday, November 13, and represents the maximum sanction under the applicable provision.
The incident occurred on November 2 during the Spanish second-tier match between Tenerife and FC Andorra. In stoppage time, Owono came well outside his penalty area to intercept a high ball and collided heavily with the 30-year-old de Miguel. The goalkeeper was shown a straight red card, while the striker was taken to hospital in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The following day, the club announced his death.
The federation said the disciplinary decision was based on the description in the referee’s official report. It stated that Owono had been sent off for “a violent kick with a raised leg to an opponent’s chest, using excessive force in a game situation.”
The committee took into account the manner in which the offence was committed, the force of the impact and the fact that de Miguel received medical attention on the pitch and was carried off on a stretcher. The decision also notes the subsequent death of the footballer. According to the committee, the totality of these circumstances justifies the maximum punishment of 12 matches.
Following de Miguel’s death, Owono said he was struggling to find words to describe what had happened. “These are the hardest days of my life. I feel immense pain over the loss of Jesús, and I am thinking of him, his family and all the people who loved him,” the goalkeeper said in a statement released by FC Andorra.
Owono is an Equatorial Guinea international. Following the tragedy, he was not included in the national team squad for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches. FC Andorra coach Carles Manso said the decision on whether and when the goalkeeper will return to football depends on Owono himself.
A judicial investigation has also been launched into the case under the supervision of the Spanish authorities. This is a standard procedure in the event of a death occurring under unforeseen and non-violent circumstances, while the prosecution deemed criminal proceedings against Owono unlikely.