Spanish Police Open Involuntary Manslaughter Inquiry After Tenerife Striker Jesús de Miguel's Death

Since De Miguel went down in stoppage time of Monday's abandoned 2-2 draw between Tenerife and FC Andorra, the story has moved from the pitch to the courts. Spain's National Police said Tuesday, Nov. 3, that they have opened an investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter, and prosecutors will take part.

The label sounds heavy. The judicial explanation is more mundane.

Judicial authorities in the Canary Islands said the inquiry is routine procedure. Under Spanish law, any death deemed non-natural automatically sets off a judicial investigation, and that includes accidents. The High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands told El País the same thing.

No charges have been announced against anyone.

What happened on the pitch

The collision came in the seventh minute of stoppage time at Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López. Owono came all the way out of his area to challenge for a long ball near midfield, and De Miguel was chasing the same ball. The goalkeeper struck him in the chest.

De Miguel first dropped to his knees, clutching his torso. Then he fell onto his back, arms limp at his sides. Owono was shown a straight red card and had started walking off before he turned around and ran back to join the players checking on De Miguel.

Medical staff treated the striker on the pitch for more than five minutes before an ambulance took him to the Hospital Universitario de Nuestra Señora de Candelaria in Santa Cruz. Spanish media, including Marca, reported he suffered a cardiac arrest in the ambulance and was resuscitated by paramedics.

Late Monday, Tenerife said he was "stable despite the severity of his condition." An early Tuesday update said he had worsened neurologically. The club announced his death at 8:00 a.m. local time.

The aftermath for Owono

Owono deactivated his Instagram account Tuesday. Reuters reported he did so after receiving abuse on social media.

Andorra, owned by former Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué, said it was "devastated." Piqué wrote on X: "I am sorry with all my soul. Rest in peace, Jesús."

Neither the police nor the judicial authorities have publicly described what the investigation will examine or how long it will take.

Football shuts down

The Spanish Football Federation postponed every match scheduled for Tuesday. UEFA said all matches this week will be preceded by a moment of silence.

Real Madrid's players held a minute of silence during training. Espanyol postponed the presentation of its new coach.

Tenerife president Felipe Miñambres spoke Tuesday. "We are all going through very difficult moments now, of sadness and of not believing what happened," he said. "But we'll go through the mourning all together."

LaLiga president Javier Tebas called it "an irreparable loss." Kylian Mbappé wrote, "So much sadness. There are no words." Lionel Messi sent condolences and "lots of strength to all his family and friends." Manchester United, Liverpool, Barcelona and De Miguel's former club Castellón also posted tributes.

The player

De Miguel was a Madrid native who made his professional debut in 2015 with Leganés B. He played for eight other Spanish clubs, including Tenerife, which he joined in the summer of 2025. Spanish media said he is survived by his wife and their daughter.

The family thanked supporters in a statement through the club and asked for privacy.

What comes next

The judicial inquiry now runs with prosecutors involved. Whether it ends in a quiet closure or something more depends on findings that no authority has released. Tenerife and Andorra have not said when, or whether, the abandoned match will be resolved.