The Spanish National Police have opened a formal investigation into the death of 30-year-old CD Tenerife striker, Jesús de Miguel Alameda, following a tragic collision with FC Andorra goalkeeper, Jesús Owono, during a Spanish second-division match on Monday.
The incident, which has thrown the entire Spanish football community into mourning, occurred at the Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez Stadium in Tenerife during a La Liga 2 encounter between CD Tenerife and FC Andorra that was abandoned in stoppage time.
According to reports from the match, both players were racing for a loose long ball near the centre circle in the seventh minute of added time when the goalkeeper rushed out of his area to clear the danger and collided violently with the striker.
Eyewitness accounts and video footage showed that Owono’s knee struck De Miguel directly in the chest region during the aerial challenge, causing the Tenerife forward to collapse immediately on the pitch and lose consciousness.
The match was level at 2-2 at the time of the incident, and the referee, Manuel Angel Perez Hernandez, swiftly showed a straight red card to the Andorra goalkeeper for using excessive force while challenging for the ball.
Medical personnel from both teams and emergency staff rushed onto the pitch within seconds after players from both sides frantically signalled for urgent medical assistance as De Miguel lay motionless on the ground.
The 30-year-old striker was said to have suffered a cardiac arrest shortly after the collision, with reports indicating that his heart stopped while he was being transported in the ambulance before medics managed to resuscitate him en route to the hospital.
He was immediately taken to the intensive care unit where he remained unconscious, unable to breathe without assistance, and in critical condition throughout Monday night as doctors battled to save his life.
Unfortunately, his neurological condition deteriorated rapidly on Tuesday morning, and CD Tenerife confirmed in an emotional statement at 8:00 am on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, that Jesús de Miguel Alameda had passed away.
In a heart-wrenching statement, the club said, “Broken with pain, with a lump in our throat and unable to believe that this is true, from CD Tenerife we announce the tragic passing of Jesús de Miguel Alameda,” capturing the depth of grief within the club.
Following the confirmation of his death, the club announced six days of official mourning during which all sporting and institutional activities would be suspended, while players, staff and officials are expected to attend his funeral.
The funeral is scheduled to take place in his native village of Navahermosa in Toledo, central Spain, where his family resides, while the club will also hold a public tribute at its home ground, Heliodoro Stadium, on Saturday evening.
The Royal Spanish Football Federation, RFEF, also announced the postponement of all football-related activities scheduled for Tuesday, including two Copa del Rey matches and Copa de la Reina fixtures, as a mark of respect for the late striker.
The Federation later extended the suspension of matches until Thursday, November 6, in honour of De Miguel, who joined Tenerife from Castellon and was regarded as a hardworking and dedicated professional.
Meanwhile, the Spanish National Police have confirmed that they have opened proceedings relating to a possible involuntary manslaughter charge, though authorities stressed that the investigation is a routine judicial procedure required under Spanish law.
According to the High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands, TSJC, any death that is classified as non-natural, including deaths resulting from sporting accidents, automatically triggers a formal judicial inquiry to determine the circumstances.
Judicial authorities emphasised that the opening of such an investigation does not imply that there is evidence of a crime, nor does it mean that any individual has been assigned criminal responsibility for the death at this stage.
The chief prosecutor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, José Luis Sánchez-Jáuregui, told news agency EFE that it is very unlikely that the case will result in criminal proceedings against Owono, given that the collision occurred during the normal course of play.
He explained that injuries and incidents that occur within the context of a sporting event typically do not fall under criminal liability, except where there is clear intent to cause serious harm, which will be determined after thorough investigation.
The prosecutor added that the referee’s match report and the findings of the Royal Spanish Football Federation’s Disciplinary Committee will be crucial in determining whether Owono’s challenge was intentional or a tragic accident inherent in competitive football.
For his part, FC Andorra goalkeeper, Jesús Owono, who is 25 years old and an Equatorial Guinea international born in Equatorial Guinea but raised in Spain, has expressed deep devastation and remorse over the incident.
In a statement released on Tuesday night via social media, Owono said the incident will stay with him for the rest of his life, stating, “I want everyone to know that I never intended to hurt anyone. It was a terrible accident, something I wish with all my heart I could take back.”
The goalkeeper, who signed for Andorra on loan from Alavés in July 2025, deactivated his Instagram account on Tuesday morning after being subjected to a torrent of online abuse, with some fans chanting “assassin” and “murderer” at him in the stadium as De Miguel was stretchered off.
FC Andorra also released a statement expressing their deepest condolences to the family of Jesús de Miguel, his colleagues and CD Tenerife, adding that they share deeply in the sadness, while club president Gerard Piqué wrote, “I’m sorry with all my heart. Rest in peace Jesus.”
The football world has continued to pay tributes to the late striker, with reports indicating that his wife and daughter were present in the stands at the Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez Stadium watching the match when the tragic accident occurred, making the loss even more painful for the family and the football fraternity.
