Owono De Miguel Statement After Tragedy

Owono De Miguel statement has described the days since the death of Tenerife striker Jesus De Miguel as the hardest of his life, in a first public message from the goalkeeper at the centre of the incident.

Jesus Owono, the Equatorial Guinea goalkeeper who plays for FC Andorra, issued the statement through his club on Wednesday, November 4. De Miguel died on Tuesday at the age of 30, a day after suffering a cardiac arrest following a collision during a match.

“These are the most difficult days of my life,” Owono said in the statement. “I struggle to find the words, and I find it very hard to process what has happened. I know there will be many questions to address, and I will face whatever comes with the utmost respect.”

“But right now, honestly, I cannot think about anything other than Jesus and the pain we are experiencing. Rest in peace, Jesus,” he added.

Owono De Miguel statement: what happened on the pitch

Owono collided with De Miguel during the Segunda Division game between Andorra and Tenerife. The match was abandoned seven minutes into stoppage time after the incident, Geo Super reported.

De Miguel suffered a cardiac arrest following the collision, and died the next day. The reporting reviewed for this story does not assign blame for the death, and it does not describe the collision as deliberate. Any inquiry into the medical sequence would need to come from the clubs, the league or medical authorities, and none has been reported yet.

FC Andorra said it was offering psychological support to anyone at the club who needed it following De Miguel’s death. The club released Owono’s statement, and it has stood behind its player in the days since the incident.

Andorra centre back Lautaro Spatz also spoke out in support of his teammate on Tuesday evening. “I also want to say a few words about my teammate, goalkeeper and friend, who is deeply affected by what has happened,” Spatz said on social media.

“Those of us who know him know the kind of person he is, how much he is suffering at this moment, and that he would never intentionally hurt anyone,” Spatz added. “In football, unfortunate incidents can happen, but no one could imagine that one of them might end with such tragic consequences.”

Spatz also sent his condolences to De Miguel’s family and to Tenerife, the club De Miguel played for.

Abuse online and support from his federation

Owono deactivated his Instagram account on Tuesday after receiving abuse online, Geo Super reported. Some users left comments calling him a “murderer” on his posts, according to that report.

That abuse is reported here as abuse he received, not as a finding about what happened on the pitch. No court, league or medical body has been reported as reaching such a conclusion, and the statement from his teammate directly rejects the idea of intent.

The Equatoguinean Football Federation also expressed support for Owono in a statement on Tuesday. It said the 25-year-old was going through a situation of profound sorrow and grief.

Owono has made 47 international appearances for Equatorial Guinea. He is an established international goalkeeper, and his club career in Spain has made him a familiar figure in the Segunda Division.

A death that reaches beyond one match

De Miguel’s death at 30 has shaken Spanish football’s second tier, where players, clubs and fans know each other closely. Tenerife striker Jesus De Miguel was covered here when the news broke, and Owono’s statement now adds the voice of the other player involved.

Tenerife have lost a striker in the middle of a season, and Andorra have a squad dealing with a trauma that will not end when the next match kicks off. The league has not been reported, in the material reviewed for this story, as announcing a formal inquiry or a change to match protocols after the incident.

For now, the clearest facts are these. A collision occurred during a league match. A player suffered a cardiac arrest and died the next day. The goalkeeper involved has said he is struggling to process what happened, and has asked, in effect, for respect while questions remain unanswered.

That restraint matters. It leaves room for medical and league authorities to establish what happened, without turning a grieving player into a target. It also leaves room for De Miguel’s family to be remembered first, as the people at the centre of this loss.

Frequently asked questions

What did Jesus Owono say in his statement?

He said these are the most difficult days of his life, that he struggles to find words, and that he cannot think about anything other than Jesus De Miguel and the pain being experienced.

How did Jesus De Miguel die?

De Miguel died on Tuesday at the age of 30, a day after suffering a cardiac arrest following a collision with Owono during the Segunda Division match between Andorra and Tenerife.

Was the match completed?

No. The match was abandoned seven minutes into stoppage time after the incident, according to Geo Super.

What support has Owono received?

FC Andorra offered psychological support to anyone at the club who needed it, teammate Lautaro Spatz spoke out in his support, and the Equatoguinean Football Federation issued a statement of support.

Has anyone blamed Owono for the death?

No authority has been reported as blaming him. He did receive abuse online, including comments calling him a “murderer”, which led him to deactivate his Instagram account on Tuesday.