FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono “is suffering” following the death of Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel, according to team-mate Lautaro Spatz. Owono collided with De Miguel during a Spanish second-tier match on Monday, which led to the forward suffering a cardiac arrest and later dying in hospital.
Racist abuse and shock
Equatorial Guinea international Owono, 25, has received racist abuse on social media since the incident, and his Instagram account has been deactivated. Spatz, who was on the pitch when the incident happened, said the FC Andorra squad remained in shock.
“The entire FC Andorra squad has been in shock, devastated and deeply affected by what has happened,” Spatz wrote on Instagram. “It is a tragedy that we could never have imagined experiencing on a football pitch.”
Team-mate's tribute
Spatz also spoke about Owono, describing him as a team-mate, goalkeeper and friend who is deeply affected by what happened. “Those of us who know him are aware of the sort of person he is, how much he is suffering at this time, and that he would never have intended to harm anyone,” he added.
“In football, there are accidental incidents, but no one could have imagined that one of them could lead to such tragic consequences.”
Investigation and funeral
Spanish police have opened an investigation into De Miguel’s death, in line with procedures for deaths involving non-natural causes, including accidents. Tenerife’s majority shareholder Rayco García confirmed the entire squad would travel to mainland Spain to attend De Miguel’s funeral in Navahermosa, Toledo, on Thursday.
García told El Larguero: “The important thing now is for the players to say goodbye to their teammate and come to terms with what has happened. It's a tragic situation. There are things that some of our players shouldn't have had to witness. A football pitch is a place where you're meant to have a good time, and what we saw was anything but that.
“We're still in shock. The entire squad is going to the funeral, without exception. Then we'll return to Tenerife. The players will have the day off to continue coming to terms with this terrible blow. And on Saturday, at the Heliodoro [stadium,] we plan to hold a lovely tribute in his memory. We want to start coming to terms with this as soon as possible and look to the future. We know that Jesús will be with us.”
