Tenerife striker Miguel succumbs to injuries after on-field collision

A pall of gloom engulfed Spanish football on Tuesday as the news of Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel spread across the country. Miguel succumbed to injuries after he suffered a serious collision with FC Andorra's goalkeeper in a Spanish second division match.

De Miguel, 30, was fouled in the middle of the pitch by Equatorial Guinea international goalkeeper Jesus Owono, who had raced out of his goal to try and clear the ball. The incident happened towards the end of the match at the Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez stadium, with the teams level at 2-2. Owono was sent off and the match was subsequently abandoned.

Spanish media said De Miguel suffered a cardiac arrest and was resuscitated. The player was taken to hospital and placed in intensive care with Tenerife later saying that De Miguel's condition had ‘’worsened neurologically’’ before his death. ‘’I am so deeply sorry. Rest in peace, Jesus,’’ former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, Andorra's majority shareholder, wrote on social media. 

Tenerife confirmed in a statement: ‘’Broken with pain, with a lump in our throat and unable to believe this is real, CD Tenerife announces the tragic death, at 8:00 am (7am GMT), of Jesus de Miguel Alameda,’’ his club Tenerife said in a statement. ‘’No words can ease the pain, nothing can lessen this great feeling of sadness. Our thoughts are with the family, his close friends and Tenerife fans, who today are grieving over this terrible news.''

 Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and other clubs in Spain also sent messages of condolence along with the Spanish football federation (RFEF). ‘’Shattered by this sad news, the Royal Spanish Football Federation wishes to express our deepest sorrow at his passing today,’’ wrote the federation in a statement.

 Real Madrid held a minute of silence before their training session on Tuesday. ‘’Immense sadness, there are no words,’’ Madrid’s French forward Kylian Mbappe wrote on Instagram.