Tenerife boss says Owono's 12-match ban 'feels light'

Former Tenerife manager Cervera accepts the 12-match ban imposed on FC Andorra goalkeeper Owono following the collision that led to forward De Miguel's death, saying regulations don't account for such tragic circumstances.

Former Tenerife manager Alvaro Cervera has responded to goalkeeper Jesus Owono's 12-match suspension, which was confirmed by the Spanish football federation on Friday. Owono, 25, was sent off after colliding with Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel during a Spanish second-tier match on 2 November. De Miguel died the following day aged 30.

The disciplinary committee imposed the maximum punishment available under current regulations, as it could only consider the on-pitch offence and not the tragic outcome. The referee's report stated Owono was sent off for "violently striking an opponent in the chest with his leg, using excessive force, while the ball was in play".

Cervera acknowledged that while the ban "might feel light" compared to other cases, he accepts that existing regulations do not "specifically account for what happened". He described the process of returning to training and preparing for Tenerife's next match against Ceuta on Sunday as "tough" and "complicated", noting that players are coping in different ways and some may not yet be in the right frame of mind to play.