FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono has been handed a 12-match suspension by the Spanish Football Federation’s disciplinary committee following the collision that led to the death of Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel.
The incident occurred during a second-division match on November 2, when Owono rushed out towards midfield to clear a high ball and collided with de Miguel.
The goalkeeper was shown a red card after the challenge. De Miguel, 30, suffered cardiac arrest and was taken to hospital, where he died the following day.
Disciplinary committee imposes maximum sanction
In its ruling on Friday, the committee said the referee’s report recorded that Owono had been sent off for “violently striking an opponent in the chest with his leg, using excessive force, while the ball was in play”.
It acknowledged the fatal outcome of the incident and said the nature of the conduct and surrounding circumstances justified the maximum punishment of 12 matches.
Owono expresses grief over de Miguel’s death
The Equatorial Guinea international described the days following de Miguel’s death as the “hardest days of my life”.
“I struggle to find the words, and it is very difficult for me to process anything that has happened,” Owono said in a statement released by his club last week.
“I feel immense pain over the loss of Jesus. I think of him, of his family, and of all the people who loved him.”
