Spanish Soccer Star Jesús de Miguel’s dєatᩚh Sparks Two Investigations as New Details Emerge About Fatal Collision

The dєatᩚh of Spanish soccer player Jesús de Miguel has prompted questions not only about the collision that left him fighting for his life, but also about the emergency treatment he received in the minutes that followed.

The 30-year-old CD Tenerife striker died on November 3, one day after a violent collision with FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono during a second-division match in Tenerife.

The incident happened late in a game that was tied 2-2. De Miguel was chasing a long ball when Owono rushed far outside his penalty area in an attempt to clear it. The goalkeeper’s knee struck the forward in the chest, sending him crashing to the ground.

The referee showed Owono a straight red card. Players from both teams immediately called for medical assistance as De Miguel lay motionless on the pitch. He was eventually carried away on a stretcher and taken to hospital, where he remained in ᑕriᩚtiᩚcal condition before dying the following morning.

Spanish police subsequently opened proceedings concerning possible involuntary manslaughter. However, authorities have stressed that a judicial investigation is a standard procedure when a dєatᩚh is considered non-natural under Spanish law.

The legal question is whether the goalkeeper’s challenge went beyond what could reasonably occur during normal play. Tenerife’s chief prosecutor, José Luis Sánchez-Jáuregui, indicated that criminal proceedings could be difficult to pursue because the collision happened during a competitive match. Investigators must examine the referee’s report and the relevant sporting disciplinary findings before determining what happens next.

The referee’s report described Owono as striking an opponent with his leg raised and using excessive force while challenging for the ball.

But the collision is not the only part of the tᩚraɢedy receiving scrutiny.

A separate line of questions has emerged over the medical response after De Miguel collapsed. The Associated Press reported that emergency-care professionals wanted more information about how quickly CPR was started and whether a defibrillator was used.

Team medical staff reached the player shortly after he fell, and emergency workers brought a stretcher onto the field. However, the precise sequence of treatment during the several minutes before he was taken away remained unclear in early reports.

A preliminary autopsy later attributed De Miguel’s dєatᩚh to accidental chest trauma, according to Spanish media reports cited by PEOPLE. Additional medical and toxicology findings were still pending, while a judge was also examining the circumstances surrounding his treatment and transfer to hospital.

The investigations do not, by themselves, establish that anyone committed a crime or that medical care was inadequate. Those questions will depend on the evidence gathered by authorities.

Meanwhile, Owono has faced intense online 𝘢bu𝘴e since the collision. The goalkeeper deactivated his Instagram account, and Andorra representatives expressed their grief over De Miguel’s dєatᩚh.

The tᩚraɢedy has shaken Spanish football. Clubs across the country paid tribute, while UEFA called for moments of silence before European matches. On November 7, thousands of supporters gathered at Tenerife’s stadium for an emotional farewell to the striker, remembering a player whose career had brought him to the second division and whose life ended during a match.

For De Miguel’s family, teammates and supporters, the investigations may eventually provide answers about the final moments of his life. For the wider football community, the case has also reopened difficult questions about player safety, emergency medical protocols and the consequences of split-second decisions on the pitch.