Jesús de Miguel died from "accidental chest trauma," according to a preliminary autopsy report. The 30-year-old Tenerife striker passed away on Tuesday, a day after colliding with FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono during a LaLiga Hypermotion match.
The collision happened in the 97th minute of Monday evening's fixture as De Miguel sprinted toward the ball and Owono charged out of his area to clear it, making heavy contact with his opponent's chest. Owono was shown a red card. De Miguel received immediate on-field treatment before going into cardiac arrest and was taken by ambulance to Hospital Universitario de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, where he was initially stabilized before dying at 8am on Tuesday. The match was abandoned, and the Royal Spanish Football Federation suspended all fixtures until Friday.
According to local outlets Canarias7 and El Día, cited by The Mirror, the Institute of Forensic Medicine determined that De Miguel died from "accidental thoracic trauma," describing it as a cause consistent with his death, though results from additional tests, including toxicology reports, remain outstanding. The initial forensic report was filed on Wednesday morning with Magistrate Eva Esther Juárez Fernández, who is leading the investigative division court overseeing the inquiry.
De Miguel's funeral took place on Thursday in Navahermosa, a village in Spain's Toledo province, attended by the Tenerife first team, coaching staff and club management.
Owono Breaks His Silence
Owono addressed the incident publicly on Wednesday. In a statement released by FC Andorra, the club said it "continues to be deeply affected by the death of Jesús de Miguel" and that Owono wished to personally share a few words.
"These are the most difficult days of my life. I am struggling to find the words and find it very difficult to assimilate anything that has happened," Owono said. "I feel an enormous pain for the loss of Jesús. I think of him, his family and everyone who loved him. I know there will be many issues to address; I will face whatever comes with the utmost respect. But right now, honestly, I cannot think of anything else except Jesús and the pain we are experiencing. Rest in peace, Jesús."
Any death "not resulting from natural causes" automatically triggers a judicial investigation, and homicide officers in Tenerife have launched a probe into the incident, with the medical response to the situation also falling under scrutiny. Santa Cruz de Tenerife chief prosecutor José Luis Sánchez-Jáuregui said criminal proceedings against Owono are, however, "very unlikely."
Owono has been left out of the Equatorial Guinea squad for the upcoming international break, and the RFEF Disciplinary Committee was expected to rule on the length of his footballing ban, with a previous official report suggesting a suspension of between four and 12 games.
Almería's Gesture for the Family
UD Almería, a club partly owned by Cristiano Ronaldo, has announced a financial donation to De Miguel's family. Almería are scheduled to host Tenerife later this season, and club president Mohammed Al Khereiji has pledged to direct all ticket revenue from that fixture toward supporting the player's family.
De Miguel is survived by his partner María and their one-year-old daughter, Carla, both of whom were present at the stadium for Monday's match. Family friend Fernando Roman told Spanish outlet Vamos a Ver about the circumstances surrounding De Miguel's partner in the aftermath.
"Yesterday, my girlfriend and I were talking all afternoon and all night with María, his girlfriend, who was alone in the hospital," Roman said. "I've spoken with his girlfriend, and you can imagine how she is. Now we have to be with the family. We have to send our love to his family, to María, to his daughter Carla, who is a year and a few months old."
