Jesús Owono given 12-match ban for tackle that resulted in Jesús de Miguel’s death

FC Andorra goalkeeper collided with De Miguel

Owono: ‘I feel immense pain over the loss of Jesús’

The FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono was suspended for 12 matches by the Spanish football federation’s disciplinary committee on Friday after his challenge on Jesús de Miguel resulted in the death of the Tenerife striker last week.

Owono, an Equatorial Guinea international, was sent off in the second division match on 2 November after racing into midfield and colliding with De Miguel while trying to clear an aerial ball. After the collision, De Miguel, 30, was placed in intensive care in hospital and the Spanish forward died on 3 November.

“The assessment of the conduct under consideration in these proceedings must be based on the facts expressly recorded in the referee’s report, which states that the player was sent off for ‘violently striking an opponent in the chest with his leg, using excessive force, while the ball was in play,’” said the committee in a statement.

“The tragic outcome of the incident, resulting in the death of Jesús de Miguel, is public knowledge. In view of the nature of the conduct described and the accompanying circumstances … the maximum sanction, 12 matches of suspension, is justified.”

Spanish police sources said last week that an investigation into what happened had been opened under judicial supervision.

Owono said he was enduring the “hardest days of my life” after De Miguel’s death. “These are the hardest days of my life. I struggle to find the words, and it is very difficult for me to process anything that has happened,” said Owono in a statement published by his club last week.

“I feel immense pain over the loss of Jesús. I think of him, of his family, and of all the people who loved him. I know there will be many issues to address and I will face whatever comes with the utmost respect. But right now, honestly, I cannot think about anything other than Jesús and the pain we are going through. Rest in peace, Jesús.”

The FC Andorra head coach, Carles Manso, said on Thursday it would be Owono who decides if and when he returns to football after the tragic incident.

Last Saturday, Tenerife fans and players gathered at the club’s stadium for a memorial and farewell to De Miguel. His funeral took place last Thursday and around 400 mourners attended, including the Spain head coach, Luis de la Fuente, and the Real Madrid president, Florentino Pérez.