Spanish police have opened a routine investigation following the death of Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel, who passed away in hospital on Tuesday morning at the age of 30.
The forward suffered a cardiac arrest after an accidental collision with Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono during Monday’s Segunda Division fixture, which was later abandoned at 2-2.
Spain’s National Police confirmed on Tuesday that proceedings have been opened into possible involuntary manslaughter following De Miguel’s death, as reported by the Daily Express. Prosecutors are also set to be involved, although authorities in the Canary Islands stressed that opening an investigation is a routine procedure.
The accidental collision happened on the halfway line during Monday’s game between Tenerife and Andorra at the Estadio Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez. De Miguel was chasing a ball played over the defence when Owono came out to intercept it, and the striker took a heavy blow to the chest.
His team-mates immediately called for medical help, and paramedics treated him on the pitch before he was taken by ambulance to the Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria in Santa Cruz. The match was abandoned in the 108th minute, with the score at 2-2.
Tenerife initially said he was “stable, despite the severity of his condition”, but later confirmed that “the medical situation of Jesus de Miguel has worsened neurologically”. He passed away at 8am on Tuesday. De Miguel started his senior career with Leganes B in 2015 and played for eight other Spanish clubs before joining Tenerife last year.
