Spanish police investigate death of Tenerife footballer after collision

Spanish police have opened an investigation into the death of Tenerife footballer Jesús de Miguel, who died in hospital on 3 November after colliding with an opposing goalkeeper during a match.

De Miguel, 30, was challenging for the ball in added time against FC Andorra on 2 November when goalkeeper Jesús Owono struck him in the chest. Owono was shown a red card and the second-division match was abandoned with the score at 2–2.

De Miguel suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch and was taken to hospital. Tenerife confirmed his death the following morning. The precise medical cause of death was not immediately disclosed, according to the Associated Press.

Police sources told Spanish news agency EFE that the inquiry was under judicial supervision. The Associated Press reported that police were investigating possible involuntary manslaughter. Dutch news agency ANP, in a report carried by Nieuws.nl, described an investigation into Owono; his formal status in the inquiry remains unclear.

Sources at the Canary Islands’ high court told EFE that a non-natural death, including an accidental one, leads automatically to a judicial investigation. Santa Cruz de Tenerife’s chief prosecutor, José Luis Sánchez-Jáuregui, told EFE he thought criminal proceedings were very unlikely, partly because the collision occurred during play. He said the referee’s report and the sports disciplinary committee’s findings would first need to be considered.

FC Andorra offered condolences to De Miguel’s family and Tenerife. It said it was making psychological support available to those affected and had requested the postponement of its next match against Mallorca.