Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel laid to rest as Spanish football unites

Family, friends and Tenerife team-mates attended the funeral of striker Jesus de Miguel this week, Sky Sports Football reported, days after he died from a cardiac arrest triggered by an on-field collision in Spain's second division.

The collision happened during Tenerife's away fixture at FC Andorra on Monday. Goalkeeper Jesus Owono had rushed out from his goal towards the halfway line and caught De Miguel in the chest with his knee as the striker attempted to clear the ball, Metro Football reported.

Tenerife had described De Miguel's condition as stable on Monday night, but in the early hours of Tuesday the club said his medical condition had 'deteriorated neurologically.' He died later that morning. Police in Spain have opened an investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter, an inquiry Metro Football reported is ongoing.

Owono broke his silence in a statement carried by Metro. 'These are the most difficult days of my life. I'm struggling to find the words and finding it very hard to process what has happened,' he said.

He added: 'I feel immense pain at the loss of Jesus. I'm thinking of him, his family, and all the people who loved him.'

In a separate passage of the same statement, Owono said: 'I know there will be many issues to address, and I will face whatever comes with the utmost respect. But right now, honestly, I can't think of anything other than Jesus and the pain we are experiencing. Rest in peace, Jesus.'

FC Andorra appended a request for 'the utmost sensitivity and respect' to the goalkeeper's statement. Owono deleted his Instagram account after being labelled a 'murderer' by some online, though he received support from his national team, Equatorial Guinea.

Spanish football's governing bodies have organised a collective tribute. The Royal Spanish Football Federation, La Liga and Liga F are running a campaign titled 'Always in our memory' across every professional fixture played between 6 and 9 November, Yahoo Sports reported.

Starting line-ups at every ground will wear commemorative shirts bearing De Miguel's number nine and the campaign slogan. Opposing players and officials will form a semi-circle on the pitch before captains lay a floral tribute ahead of a minute's silence.

That silence will be observed across all national competitions run by the RFEF and Liga F over the weekend, with stadium screens showing a tribute image followed by applause from players and supporters.

Referees will also halt play at the first natural stoppage after the ninth minute of each match, a nod to De Miguel's shirt number, allowing a video tribute to be shown on the big screens.

Tenerife's fixtures and those across Spanish football this weekend will go ahead under the shadow of the tributes, with the investigation into Monday's collision continuing alongside the sport's collective mourning.