Police are investigating the medical assistance provided to CD Tenerife player Jesús de Miguel after his death on Tuesday following a collision with FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono. The inquiry is examining whether the health and safety protocols for match-day emergencies were followed and whether response times were respected.
The court in Santa Cruz de Tenerife that was on duty when the incident occurred has opened an investigation and received a preliminary autopsy report on Wednesday. Its contents have not been made public, the spokesperson for the Canary Islands High Court of Justice said, citing the privacy of De Miguel and his family. The judge has authorized the transfer of his body to Navahermosa, in the province of Toledo, where he will be buried. The club’s players, coaching staff and directors are expected to attend the funeral.
The National Police’s Homicide Group is investigating the medical response. According to police sources, LaLiga has a protocol for medical emergencies during matches. The match safety coordinator and the club are expected to send their reports to the league for review, while police will submit their findings to the court. The judge will decide whether the response complied with the required procedures.
Investigators are seeking details about the medical equipment available on the field and in the ambulance, when the decision was made to transfer De Miguel, and what treatment he received at each stage. They are also examining whether he was given oxygen on the pitch and how it was administered. The Red Cross, which provides on-field medical assistance, has declined to comment for now.
Police are also looking into why the ambulance did not enter the pitch. De Miguel remained on the field for just over six minutes before being placed on a spinal board and carried by medical staff and players to an ambulance waiting at a stadium access point. Police sources cited by El Día have also referred to discrepancies or possible inaccuracies in reports and other evidence, including images of the emergency shared on social media and by news outlets.
The court will separately assess whether Owono’s actions could carry criminal liability. The Provincial Prosecutor’s Office was considering preliminary proceedings to determine whether any responsibility might go beyond the disciplinary framework of sport. However, the chief prosecutor for Santa Cruz de Tenerife, José Luis Sánchez-Jáuregui, said on Tuesday that a criminal case was difficult to envisage because the incident was a play during the match and had been recorded in the referee’s report.
Experts cited in the source have pointed to the legal principle of assumed risk in contact sports. Under that approach, criminal law may apply if a player’s conduct exceeds the risks ordinarily accepted in the sport. Whether Owono crossed that threshold would depend on the action itself, rather than on the tragic outcome, the experts said.
Sources: El País Deportes.