World Soccer.—Spanish soccer is in mourning. Jesús de Miguel Alameda, a forward for Tenerife, passed away on Tuesday, November 3, at 8:00 a.m., one day after suffering a cardiac arrest following a violent collision with Andorra’s goalkeeper, Jesús Owono, during the Second Division match that was suspended on Monday.
CD Tenerife announced his death at 9:35 a.m. in a statement that captures the grief of the entire club: “Heartbroken, with a lump in our throats and unable to believe this is true… There are no words of comfort.”
According to a report in El País, the forward’s neurological condition had deteriorated during the early morning hours, after he was rushed to the Nuestra Señora de Candelaria University Hospital in Santa Cruz de Tenerife on Monday. According to the club’s statement, on Monday afternoon De Miguel remained unconscious, “stable but in serious condition,” but in the last few hours his condition worsened and he was unable to recover.
The incident occurred on Monday in the final minutes of the match against Andorra, which was tied at two, at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López Stadium. According to Reuters, seven minutes into stoppage time, De Miguel was running to start a counterattack when he collided with Owono, who had rushed out of his goal area to clear a long ball and struck the forward in the chest with his knee.
The medical team treated the player on the field, and the referee permanently suspended the match to allow emergency medical services to enter. De Miguel regained a pulse thanks to cardiopulmonary resuscitation performed inside the ambulance and arrived at the hospital breathing on his own, though unconscious.
Jesús de Miguel Alameda was born on September 21, 1996, in Madrid and was 30 years old. He spent most of his career in the Primera Federación—the division immediately below the Second Division—after making his professional debut in 2015 with Leganés B and playing for several clubs in Spain’s lower divisions. A groin injury complicated his first season with the Canary Islands club and cast doubt on his future there, but he earned his place on Tenerife’s roster.
The news shocked the Spanish soccer world. Andorra, owned by former Barcelona player Gerard Piqué, offered its condolences, along with other clubs, the Royal Spanish Soccer Federation, and LaLiga. Real Madrid also extended its sympathies to the family and the Tenerife club.
As a sign of mourning, the Federation postponed two Copa del Rey matches and one Copa de la Reina match that were scheduled for Tuesday.
Yesterday, the news was the suspension of a match and the hope for a recovery. Today, Spanish soccer bids farewell to a 30-year-old forward who went out to contest a 50-50 ball and never returned. Rest in peace, Jesús de Miguel.
