Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono has spoken publicly for the first time since the death of Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel, describing the period as the "most difficult days" of his life and expressing "enormous pain" over the incident.
De Miguel died at the age of 30 on Tuesday morning (November 3), a day after colliding with Owono during a Spanish second division match on Monday (November 2). Owono was sent off for the clash, having raced from his goal and struck De Miguel at force, with the Tenerife player subsequently suffering a cardiac arrest.
Owono's statement
In a statement issued through his club, Owono said: "These are the most difficult days of my life. I'm struggling to find the words and finding it very difficult to process anything that has happened. I feel enormous pain at the loss of Jesus."
He continued: "I think of him, his family, and all the people who loved him. I know there will be many issues to address, and I will face whatever comes with the utmost respect. But right now, honestly, I can't think of anything other than Jesus and the pain we are experiencing. Rest in peace, Jesus."
Investigation and tributes
Spanish police have opened an investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter, which is standard practice under Spanish law. Santa Cruz de Tenerife chief prosecutor Jose Luis Sanchez-Jauregui told Spanish news agency EFE that criminal proceedings were "very unlikely".
Andorra's Argentinian defender Lautaro Spatz paid tribute to De Miguel on Instagram while also defending Owono, who has deleted his account on the social media platform. Spatz called De Miguel's death "a tragedy that has left us completely broken, without words and with a sadness difficult to explain".
The 25-year-old continued: "I also want to have some words for my team-mate, goalkeeper and friend, who is deeply affected by what happened. Those of us who know him know the type of person he is, how much he is suffering in these moments and that he would never intend to hurt anyone."
Fans gathered at Tenerife's Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez stadium to lay tributes to De Miguel, with the club declaring six days of official mourning. A memorial service will be held at the ground on Saturday evening for the striker, with supporters invited to attend.
Matches called off and Champions League tribute
Tuesday's domestic Spanish games were called off as a mark of respect, but Champions League matches went ahead, including Barcelona's clash with Aston Villa at the Nou Camp. A minute's silence was held ahead of the contest, which Barca won 3-0, with Raphinha scoring twice.
Speaking to CBS Sports afterwards, the Brazilian refused to talk about the game, saying: "I want to send a lot of strength to the family of Jesus. Today I'm not going to talk about football." He added: "For me, the truth is it was quite difficult (to play). After seeing the news, of course I didn't have good feelings. He's a fellow player and it could have happened to anyone, it could have happened to me."
