FC Andorra keeper Owono speaks of 'most difficult days of my life' after death of Tenerife forward De Miguel

FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono says he is experiencing "the most difficult days of my life" following the death of Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel, who died after suffering a serious injury in a collision with the keeper during a Spanish second division match on Monday. In a statement issued on his behalf by FC Andorra on Wednesday, the 25-year-old said he struggled to find the words and was finding it very hard to come to terms with what had happened. "I feel enormous pain over the loss of Jesus. I think of him, his family, and everyone who loved him," Owono said. He added that he would face the issues ahead "with the utmost respect", but that for now he could think only of De Miguel and the pain everyone was experiencing. The incident occurred with Tenerife and Andorra drawing 2-2 seven minutes into stoppage time at Tenerife's Estadio Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez. Owono ran towards the centre circle to clear a long ball when his knee appeared to collide with De Miguel. The striker lay motionless on the pitch as medical staff treated him before being taken by ambulance to hospital. Owono was sent off and the match was abandoned. De Miguel, who was 30 and a father of one, joined Tenerife in summer 2025 on a three-year deal. The football world has paid tribute to him, with a minute's silence held at all games in European competition this week. On Tuesday, mourners laid flowers and lit candles beneath a black and white image of the player at the Estadio Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez. Owono's FC Andorra team-mate, centre-back Lautaro Spatz, defended the goalkeeper on social media on Wednesday, writing that he "would never intentionally hurt anyone" and had been deeply affected by De Miguel's death. "In football, unfortunate incidents can happen but no-one could imagine that one of them might end with such tragic consequences," Spatz said. Players from the club held a minute's silence before a voluntary training session on Wednesday, which Owono did not attend. The goalkeeper, who had more than 30,000 followers on Instagram on Tuesday morning, has since deactivated his account. Police in Spain have opened a routine investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter following De Miguel's death. Under Spanish law, any death deemed non-natural automatically triggers a judicial inquiry. Owono has made 47 international appearances for Equatorial Guinea. The president of the country's football federation, Venancio Tomas Micha, issued a statement on Tuesday offering the player "all our human and professional backing", adding that as "the involuntary protagonist of this tragic incident in the game" he was living through the situation with deep sorrow and distress. Tenerife has announced six official days of mourning, with all club activities suspended during this time. The club's players, staff and officials will attend De Miguel's funeral, which will take place in Navahermosa, Toledo, and the club will open its home ground on Saturday evening to allow supporters to bid a fitting farewell. In a statement, De Miguel's family thanked everyone for their messages of support and asked that their privacy be respected. Tenerife and Andorra's Spanish second division matches scheduled for the weekend, against Granada and Mallorca respectively, have been postponed.