Spanish Police Open Homicide Probe After Soccer Player Dies in Match

Spanish police have opened a formal investigation into the death of a professional soccer player, a move that triggers a judicial review of the circumstances surrounding the incident. The probe was launched Tuesday following the death of Jesús de Miguel, a 30-year-old forward for CD Tenerife, who suffered a cardiac arrest after a collision on the field during a second-division match.

The incident occurred on Monday during stoppage time. De Miguel was challenging for a ball near the center circle when he collided with Jesús Owono, the goalkeeper for FC Andorra. Owono was running from the opposite direction in an apparent attempt to clear a long ball. The referee issued a direct red card to Owono for the contact.

De Miguel was taken to the hospital after the collision. The match, which had ended in a 2-2 draw before the incident, was suspended. The Tenerife club, based in the Canary Islands, stated that it was devastated by the loss. No prior health conditions for de Miguel were reported by local media, and the exact medical cause of death had not been released as of Tuesday.

The National Police initiated the investigation under Spanish law, which mandates judicial review for deaths from non-natural causes, including accidents. José Luis Sánchez-Jáuregui, the chief prosecutor in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, told the news agency EFE that criminal proceedings were unlikely because the collision happened during the course of the game.

Rayco García, the main shareholder of Tenerife, said the family requested that de Miguel’s body be transported to Navahermosa, a town in the province of Toledo. García noted that teammates and club officials would attend a final farewell. He also announced that fans would gather at the stadium on Saturday to honor the player, stating, "We will all unite and we will move forward together."

Felipe Miñambres, the club president, said the players and their families would likely need professional help to cope with the death. "We will need professional help and the support of all our fans," Miñambres said. "They will feel the same as we do today." The club asked for its scheduled Saturday league match in Granada to be postponed.

Owono, who was about to turn 30, had his Instagram account deactivated on Tuesday. Michel Owono, a different player with the same surname who plays for a sixth-division club in Spain, reported receiving a wave of racist insults from people who mistakenly believed he was the FC Andorra goalkeeper.

De Miguel, a native of Madrid, began his senior career with Leganés B in 2015 and played for several lower-division clubs in Spain before joining Tenerife last year. Spanish media reported that he is survived by his wife and daughter. The club’s statement said, "There are no words of consolation. There is absolutely nothing that can alleviate this profound feeling of pain."

FC Andorra, which is owned by former Barcelona player Gerard Piqué, issued a statement of condolence. Piqué wrote on the social media platform X, "I feel it with all my soul. Rest in peace, Jesús." The Spanish Football Federation postponed all Copa del Rey and Copa de la Reina matches scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. UEFA announced that a minute of silence would be held in all its matches that week.

Fatal collisions in soccer are rare. In 2025, a 19-year-old goalkeeper for a fifth-division club in Spain, Raúl Ramírez, died from head injuries sustained during a match. In 2001, Ukrainian goalkeeper Serhiy Perkhun died from head injuries after a collision while playing for CSKA Moscow. In 1987, Málaga goalkeeper José Antonio Gallardo died more than three weeks after a collision with a Celta de Vigo forward during a second-division game.