Tenerife and Andorra were level at 2–2 in their Spanish second-tier match when home striker Jesús de Miguel went down following a collision with Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
De Miguel received treatment on the pitch before being taken to intensive care. The referee showed Owono a straight red card and halted the match after consulting both captains. Tenerife announced the following morning that the 30-year-old striker had died.
After reviewing the referee’s report, the Spanish Football Federation’s disciplinary committee handed Owono a 12-match ban and imposed the associated fines. The federation published its ruling on Friday evening, and Spanish newspaper AS reported the details.
The referee wrote that Owono had collided with De Miguel “with a raised leg and excessive force while challenging for the ball.” The committee took into account the nature of the challenge, the force of the impact and the consequences of the incident.
Article 102 of the disciplinary code provides for a ban of four to 12 matches for a violent challenge during play that causes serious injury. The committee said “the extreme seriousness of the incident warrants the maximum penalty.”
According to AS, Owono has stayed away from Andorra training since the incident, and people close to him shut down his social media accounts after he received abuse and threats. The goalkeeper also withdrew from Equatorial Guinea’s squad for their two Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Zimbabwe.
“We stand by him,” Andorra coach Carles Manso said, asking for Owono’s privacy to be respected. The goalkeeper described the days following De Miguel’s death as “the hardest days of my life.”
Both clubs return to action this week. Andorra travel to Almería, while Tenerife host Ceuta in their first home match since De Miguel’s death.
