Andorra defender Lautaro Spatz has defended teammate Jesús Owono after the goalkeeper collided with Tenerife forward Jesús De Miguel on Monday. De Miguel died the following day.
Owono deactivated his Instagram account on Tuesday after receiving online abuse, including comments calling him a “murderer.” Andorra said it was providing psychological support to anyone at the club who needed it.
Spatz expressed condolences to De Miguel’s family, friends and loved ones, as well as Tenerife supporters and the wider football community. He said the Andorra squad was “shaken, devastated and deeply affected” by what had happened, describing it as a tragedy they could never have imagined experiencing on a football pitch.
The defender also said Owono was deeply affected and would never deliberately hurt anyone. Spatz added that regrettable incidents can happen in football, but no one could have imagined one would end with such tragic consequences.
Owono, who was born in Equatorial Guinea, has made 47 appearances for its national team. The Equatorial Guinea Football Federation expressed its support for him on Tuesday, saying the 25-year-old was experiencing “deep sadness and mourning.”
Michel Owono, a goalkeeper for Spanish club Can Vidalet, said he was receiving racist abuse from people who had mistaken him for the Andorra player. Spain’s National Police have opened a routine investigation into De Miguel’s death.
Sources: Folha Esporte.