Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel dies after collision in Segunda match

Jesus de Miguel, a 30-year-old striker for CD Tenerife, died on Tuesday morning following a cardiac arrest caused by a collision during a Segunda match the previous day. The player from Madrid was in the middle of the field when Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono, who had rushed out to the midfield, struck him in the chest. Owono received a direct red card for the impact.

De Miguel initially knelt on the pitch, clutching his torso before collapsing backward. Medical staff attended to him, and the match was suspended with the score tied at 2-2. He was transported to a hospital, where he passed away at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday.

The player began his professional career in 2015 with Leganes B. He played for several lower-division clubs in Spain before joining Tenerife last year. The Canary Island club described itself as broken by the news in a statement released Tuesday. The club said there were no words of comfort to mitigate the sadness felt by the family, teammates, and the fan base.

Andorra, a club owned by former Barcelona star Gerard Pique, offered its sincere condolences to the family and the Tenerife squad. Other clubs, the Spanish Football Federation, and La Liga also sent messages of support. The federation postponed two Copa del Rey matches and one Copa de la Reina match that were scheduled for Tuesday.

Life-threatening injuries from collisions in football are rare but have occurred in the past. Last year, 19-year-old goalkeeper Raul Ramirez of Colindres died in Spain's fifth division after suffering head injuries during a match. He experienced two cardiorespiratory arrests, one on the field and another during transport to the hospital, and was declared brain dead two days later. In 2001, Ukrainian goalkeeper Serhiy Perkhun died of head injuries sustained during a match for CSKA Moscow.

The incident has paused the season's schedule while the teams and authorities process the loss. De Miguel's final professional appearance remains a moment of intense focus in the league as the investigation into the collision continues.