The death of Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel following an on-field collision with FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono has plunged Spanish football into mourning. But as tributes pour in for the 30-year-old forward, attention has also turned to what could happen next for the goalkeeper involved in the tragic incident, including the possibility of sporting sanctions and criminal proceedings.Owono, an Equatorial Guinea international, is reportedly in a state of shock following the incident and is deeply affected by De Miguel’s death. The goalkeeper has also faced a wave of abuse on social media, with some users directing personal insults at him and calling him a “murderer”.However, the tragic outcome does not, by itself, establish that Owono committed an offence. Any sporting or legal consequences will depend on an assessment of the challenge, the circumstances surrounding it and the applicable rules. The two processes are separate and must not be confused with the grief surrounding De Miguel’s death.
What happened in the collision?
The incident took place during Tenerife’s Spanish second-division match against Andorra on Monday. De Miguel appeared to be chasing a long ball near the halfway line as Tenerife looked for a late winner. Owono rushed out of his area to clear the ball but collided with the forward, striking him in the chest with his knee.De Miguel went down and received medical attention on the pitch for more than five minutes. He was eventually taken away by ambulance, while Owono was shown a red card. The match was abandoned in the seventh minute of stoppage time with the score at 2-2.Spanish media reported that De Miguel suffered a cardiac arrest while being transported to hospital and had to be revived in the ambulance. His condition deteriorated overnight, and Tenerife confirmed his death on Tuesday.The club paid an emotional tribute, saying: “Racked with pain, with a lump in our throats and unable to believe that this is true, from CD Tenerife we communicate the tragic passing of Jesús de Miguel Alameda.”
What sporting sanction could Owono face?
From a disciplinary perspective, the Spanish Football Federation’s Disciplinary Code provides for sanctions for violent conduct during a match.Article 102 stipulates a suspension of between four to 12 matches for players who engage in violent conduct against an opponent during play and cause serious injury or harm. The provision could be considered when assessing Owono’s challenge, but its application is not automatic.The disciplinary authorities would have to examine the nature of the challenge, the goalkeeper’s actions and the circumstances in which the collision occurred before deciding whether the article applies and what sanction, if any, is appropriate.The fact that De Miguel subsequently died does not automatically mean that Owono will receive the maximum 12-match suspension. The final decision would rest with the relevant disciplinary body after examining the available evidence.
Could the goalkeeper face criminal proceedings?
The more serious question is whether the incident could lead to criminal proceedings. Under Spanish law, a death during a sporting contest does not automatically rule out criminal liability. However, neither does a fatal outcome automatically establish a crime.Article 142 of the Spanish Penal Code deals with negligent homicide, distinguishing between gross negligence and less serious negligence.In cases involving gross negligence, the prescribed punishment is imprisonment for one to four years. Where the negligence is classified as less serious, the law provides for a fine of three to 18 months.These are the general penalties under the law, not an indication that Owono will necessarily be charged or convicted.For criminal liability to be established, investigators and, ultimately, the courts would need to examine whether the goalkeeper’s conduct amounted to criminally relevant negligence. That would involve assessing whether he breached the duty of care expected in the circumstances, whether the fatal outcome was reasonably foreseeable and avoidable, and whether the required causal link between his actions and De Miguel’s death can be established.The distinction between an unfortunate sporting collision and criminal negligence is crucial. A challenge that results in a tragic injury or death is not, on that basis alone, proof of a criminal act.
Two separate processes, one deeply painful tragedy
Any disciplinary action by the football authorities would be independent of a possible criminal investigation. The federation would assess the incident under its sporting regulations, while criminal liability, if investigated, would be a matter for the appropriate legal authorities and courts.The federation’s regulations also provide for the possibility of referring incidents to the Public Prosecutor’s Office when there are indications of a criminal offence.For now, the focus remains on De Miguel and the people mourning his loss. The striker joined Tenerife in 2025 and scored 11 goals in 30 appearances, helping the club secure promotion from Spain’s third division. He had previously played important roles in promotion campaigns with Internacional de Madrid and CD Castellón.FC Andorra expressed its condolences to De Miguel’s family, teammates and Tenerife, while the Spanish Footballers Association described his death as a loss that left a huge void in the football community.The questions surrounding Owono’s future will be addressed through the relevant sporting and legal processes. But no sanction or legal finding should be presumed before those processes have run their course. At the centre of this tragedy is the death of a footballer following an on-field collision, and the grief of a family and a football community left to come to terms with an unimaginable loss.
