Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel dies after collision with Andorra goalkeeper

Jesus de Miguel died at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday after suffering a cardiac arrest during a football match on Monday. The CD Tenerife forward was 30 years old. The club, based in the Canary Islands, announced the death in a statement describing itself as broken with pain.

De Miguel was challenging for the ball near the midfield when Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono left his penalty area. Owono sprinted toward the center circle to contest a long pass. The collision struck De Miguel in the chest. The match was tied 2-2 when the incident occurred.

De Miguel initially knelt, clutching his torso for a few seconds. He then fell backward, his arms dropping to his sides. Owono received a direct red card for the challenge. After leaving the field, the goalkeeper turned back to join teammates who gathered around De Miguel. The match was suspended following the episode.

De Miguel was born in Madrid and began his professional career in 2015 with Leganés B. He played for several lower-division clubs in Spain before joining Tenerife last year. The club said there were no words of consolation for the loss. It pledged support to his devastated family and fans.

Andorra, owned by former Barcelona star Gerard Piqué, issued its own condolences. The Spanish Football Federation and La Liga also expressed their sympathy. The federation postponed two Copa del Rey matches and one Copa de la Reina match scheduled for later Tuesday.

Life-threatening injuries from collisions on the pitch are rare. In Spain last year, 19-year-old goalkeeper Raul Ramírez of Colindres died from head injuries sustained in a fifth-division game. He suffered two cardiac arrests, one on the field and one in the ambulance, and was declared brain dead two days later.

In 2001, Ukrainian goalkeeper Serhiy Perkhun of CSKA Moscow died from head injuries received during a match collision.