Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono is deeply affected by the death of Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel, his team-mate Lautaro Spatz said on Wednesday. Spatz said Owono would never intentionally hurt anyone.
De Miguel, 30, died after suffering a serious injury in a collision with Owono during a Spanish second-division match on Monday. The teams were level at 2-2, seven minutes into stoppage time, when Owono ran towards the centre circle to clear a long ball and his knee appeared to collide with the striker.
De Miguel was treated on the pitch and taken by ambulance to hospital. Owono was sent off, and the match was abandoned. Spanish police have opened a routine investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter; under Spanish law, a death deemed non-natural automatically triggers a judicial inquiry.
In a social media post, Spatz said Owono was suffering greatly and expressed his condolences to De Miguel's family. The Equatoguinean Football Federation also said the 25-year-old goalkeeper was experiencing profound sorrow and grief. Owono has since deactivated his Instagram account.
Tenerife has announced six official days of mourning, suspending club activities during that period. The club said its players, staff and officials would attend De Miguel's funeral in Navahermosa, Toledo, and that the stadium would open on Saturday evening for supporters to pay their respects. Mourners have also laid flowers and lit candles at the ground.
Sources: BBC Sport.