Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has expressed deep sorrow over the death of CD Tenerife attacker Jesus de Miguel, describing the incident as shocking for the entire sporting world.
The 30-year-old forward passed away on Tuesday after being admitted to intensive care on Monday. The tragedy occurred after he suffered an on-pitch collision with FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono during a Spanish Segunda Division fixture, according to Punch.
De Miguel had entered the game as a 57th-minute substitute for Enric Gallego before the incident happened in added time. Owono, an Equatorial Guinea international, raced out of his goal toward the middle of the pitch to clear the ball and collided heavily with the forward, receiving a red card before the match was abandoned. Spanish reports noted that De Miguel suffered cardiac arrest and was revived on the pitch before dying in hospital the next day.
Speaking ahead of Real Madrid’s Champions League match against AEK Athens, Mourinho extended his condolences to the bereaved family while also acknowledging the heavy emotional burden on the goalkeeper. Mourinho stated that the situation was very hard and sad for football, noting that it must also be an extremely difficult moment for Owono.
Real Madrid held a minute of silence before their Tuesday training session in memory of the striker. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin also confirmed that a minute of silence will be observed across all European fixtures this week. Spanish police have launched an inquiry into the incident over possible involuntary manslaughter.
Meanwhile, the tragedy has sparked a disturbing case of mistaken identity online. Michael Owono, a footballer who turns out for Spanish side CF Can Vidalet, revealed that he has been targeted with racist abuse, insults, and threats simply because he shares a surname with the FC Andorra goalkeeper.
Michael stated on social media that he has no connection to the match, condemning the abuse and insisting that discrimination and hatred have no place in sport or society. CF Can Vidalet also released an official statement defending Michael and condemning the attacks against their player.
