“THE HARDEST DAYS OF MY LIFE…” — JESÚS OWONO BREAKS HIS SILENCE AFTER FOOTBALL COLLISION CLAIMS THE LIFE OF 30-YEAR-OLD JESÚS DE MIGUEL, AS POLICE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES

A heartbreaking tragedy has shaken Spanish football after 30-year-old footballer Jesús de Miguel died following an on-field collision with FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono.

Now, Owono, 25, has spoken publicly for the first time about the devastating incident, describing the days since the tragedy as “the hardest days of my life.”

His emotional words have drawn attention across the football world, as two families and an entire sporting community attempt to come to terms with an event that nobody could have imagined witnessing on a football pitch.

THE COLLISION THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

The incident happened on Monday, November 2, 2026, during a Spanish second-division match between CD Tenerife and FC Andorra at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López Stadium in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

During added time, Owono rushed out of his goal to challenge for an aerial ball. In the process, he collided with Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel.

The impact left De Miguel in a critical condition, and medical personnel immediately rushed onto the pitch to assist him.

The footballer received treatment on the field for approximately five minutes before being carried away on a stretcher and transferred to an ambulance.

According to Tenerife, medical personnel managed to restore his pulse inside the ambulance before he was taken to hospital in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

However, De Miguel never regained consciousness. He was admitted to intensive care and died on Tuesday morning, November 3.

Owono was shown a red card following the challenge. He initially began walking towards the touchline but turned back when he realised the medical emergency unfolding behind him.

The news of De Miguel’s passing sent shockwaves through both clubs and the wider Spanish football community.

OWONO’S FIRST WORDS: “THE HARDEST DAYS OF MY LIFE”

On Wednesday, November 4, FC Andorra published an emotional statement from Owono, in which the goalkeeper expressed his profound grief over the loss of the opposing player.

“These are being the hardest days of my life. I find it hard to find the words and very difficult to assimilate what has happened. I feel a huge pain, the loss of Jesús. I am thinking about him, his family and all the people who loved him.”

The goalkeeper also acknowledged that many questions would need to be addressed following the tragedy.

“I know that there will be many questions to address and I will face up to whatever comes with respect. But right now, sincerely, I cannot think about anything other than Jesús and the pain that we are going through. Rest in peace, Jesús.”

His statement reflected the enormous emotional weight of an incident that has changed the lives of everyone involved.

FC Andorra also released a message expressing how deeply affected the club had been by De Miguel’s passing, asking the public to show the greatest possible respect and sensitivity.

HIS TEAMMATES SPEAK OUT AS ONLINE CRITICISM GROWS

Following the incident, Owono became the target of intense criticism on social media.

Some users reportedly directed deeply hurtful accusations at the goalkeeper, with comments appearing on his Instagram account following news of De Miguel’s death.

On Tuesday, Owono deactivated his Instagram account.

His teammate Lautaro Spatz subsequently published a message defending him, explaining that those who knew the goalkeeper understood how deeply affected he was.

“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 said.

He added that unfortunate incidents can happen in football, but nobody could have imagined that one would end with such devastating consequences.

FC Andorra confirmed that psychological support was being made available to anyone at the club who needed it following the tragedy.

The Equatorial Guinea Football Federation also expressed its solidarity with Owono, who has represented his country 47 times internationally.

Its president, Venancio Tomás Ndong Micha, offered the goalkeeper support, describing him as an involuntary protagonist of an incident that had left him experiencing profound sorrow and distress.

SPANISH POLICE INVESTIGATE THE CIRCUMSTANCES

Spanish national police have opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding De Miguel’s death.

The investigation is being handled by the police homicide division, following the standard procedure for deaths that are not considered to have resulted from natural causes.

Importantly, the opening of an investigation does not establish criminal responsibility.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife’s chief prosecutor, José Luis Sánchez-Jáuregui, told the Spanish news agency EFE that criminal proceedings against Owono were considered very unlikely.

Investigators are examining not only the collision itself but also the medical attention De Miguel received immediately afterwards.

Questions have been raised about the emergency response, particularly the timing of the restoration of his pulse and the treatment provided during those critical first minutes.

Elvira González, president of Spain’s Association of Nurses, Emergency Medics and Caregivers, stressed the importance of establishing exactly what happened during the emergency response.

Tenerife’s majority shareholder, Rayco García, also called for patience, saying he wanted to wait for the autopsy and the investigation before drawing conclusions.

The aim, he indicated, should also be to establish whether anything could have been done differently to help prevent such a tragedy in the future.

No final findings have been announced.

A FAMILY LEFT WITH AN UNIMAGINABLE LOSS

Beyond the football headlines, the greatest loss is being felt by De Miguel’s family.

The 30-year-old was married and had an 18-month-old child. Both his wife and young child were reportedly present at the stadium when the incident happened.

As news of his passing spread, tributes began appearing outside Tenerife’s stadium.

Flowers were left near gate nine, corresponding to De Miguel’s shirt number, while a minute’s silence was held at the Canarian government building.

His teammates and club staff also prepared to travel to Navahermosa, in Toledo province, where his parents are from, to attend his funeral.

A further tribute was scheduled to take place at Tenerife’s Heliodoro Rodríguez López Stadium on Saturday evening.

For those who shared the dressing room with him, the loss was not simply that of a fellow footballer. It was the loss of a teammate, friend and family man.

A TRAGEDY THAT HAS LEFT FOOTBALL WITHOUT WORDS

Owono was subsequently left out of Equatorial Guinea’s squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Zimbabwe.

His absence came amid the emotional aftermath of the incident, although it has not been established as a disciplinary measure.

Meanwhile, both FC Andorra and Tenerife have called for respect towards everyone affected.

The tragedy has raised difficult questions about the unpredictability of contact sport, emergency medical procedures and the emotional impact such incidents can have on players.

For De Miguel’s loved ones, the loss is permanent.

For Owono, the memory of that moment and the questions surrounding it remain.

One footballer has lost his life, leaving behind a wife, a young child and countless people who loved him. Another is facing an extraordinarily difficult period after being involved in the collision.

As the investigation continues, the football community is being reminded that compassion matters, especially when the people at the centre of a tragedy are still trying to process what happened.

Football is a game, but the people on that pitch are human beings. And sometimes, one tragic moment changes countless lives forever.