'In moments of pain, football comes together': Spain says goodbye to Jesús de Miguel

Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel, 30, died after a collision with Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono during a second division match; he suffered commotio cordis, a rare cardiac condition triggered by impact.

Jesús de Miguel Alameda, a 30-year-old striker for Tenerife, died three days after an on-field collision with Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono during a second division match. The incident occurred in the 96th minute when De Miguel chased the ball and crashed into Owono near the centre circle. Medical staff treated him on the pitch for six minutes before transferring him to Hospital Universitario de Nuestra Señora de Candelaria in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where doctors initially stabilised him with lowered body temperature. His condition deteriorated neurologically at 3am, and he passed away at 8am. The preliminary autopsy identified commotio cordis—a rare cardiac condition that occurs only when impact strikes within a 40-millisecond window of the cardiac cycle—as the cause of death.

De Miguel left behind his wife Maria and 16-month-old daughter Clara, who were present at the match. His funeral took place in his family's village of Navahermosa in La Mancha, attended by Spain manager Luis de la Fuente and members of the football community. Tenerife president Felipe Miñambres said the club would need professional help to process the tragedy, while majority shareholder Rayco García vowed the team would care for De Miguel's family. Teammates remembered him as a humble, hardworking player and union representative who was always willing to help others.