Jesús Owono issues statement as Tenerife mourn Jesús de Miguel

FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono has spoken publicly following the death of Tenerife forward Jesús de Miguel after their collision during Monday's Spanish second division match. BBC Sport reported that Andorra released the 25-year-old's statement on Wednesday. Owono described his grief and difficulty processing what had happened, saying his thoughts were with De Miguel, his family and those close to him.

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De Miguel, 30, suffered a serious injury in the incident and was taken from Tenerife's Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López to hospital by ambulance after receiving treatment on the pitch. The teams were level at 2-2, seven minutes into stoppage time, when Owono came towards the centre circle to clear a long ball. According to the BBC report, the goalkeeper's knee appeared to collide with the striker. Owono was sent off and the match was abandoned.

In his statement, Owono said he would address the issues arising from the incident respectfully, but was currently focused on De Miguel and the grief surrounding his death. Earlier on Wednesday, Andorra defender Lautaro Spatz said his team-mate was devastated and defended his character, saying he would not deliberately hurt anyone. Andorra's players observed a minute's silence before a voluntary training session that day. Owono did not attend.

BBC Sport reported that Spanish police had opened a routine investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter. The report explained that Spanish law automatically requires a judicial inquiry when a death is considered non-natural. Equatorial Guinea's football federation also offered personal and professional support to Owono, who has played 47 times for the national team. Federation president Venancio Tomás Micha described the goalkeeper's distress in a statement issued on Tuesday.

Tenerife announced six official days of mourning and the suspension of all club activities during that period. Players, staff and officials will attend De Miguel's funeral in Navahermosa, Toledo. The club also plans to open its stadium on Saturday evening for supporters to pay their respects. Mourners had already gathered there on Tuesday, leaving flowers and lighting candles beneath a photograph of the forward, who joined Tenerife in summer 2025.

De Miguel was a father of one. His family thanked those who had sent messages of support and requested privacy. A minute's silence is being held at European competition matches this week in his memory. Tenerife's weekend league fixture against Granada and Andorra's match against Mallorca have both been postponed.