Andorra defender Lautaro Spatz has defended goalkeeper Jesús Owono following the death of Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel after a collision during a Spanish second-division fixture on Monday.
Spatz said the 25-year-old goalkeeper was deeply traumatised by the incident, stressing that Owono would never deliberately hurt another person.
De Miguel, 30, suffered a severe injury after colliding with Owono during the closing moments of the match between Tenerife and Andorra.
With the game tied at 2-2 and seven minutes into stoppage time, Owono charged towards the centre circle to intercept a long ball but appeared to strike De Miguel with his knee.
The Tenerife forward remained motionless on the pitch as medical personnel rushed to provide emergency treatment before he was transported to hospital by ambulance. Owono received a red card, while the match was eventually abandoned.
Taking to social media on Wednesday, Spatz expressed his condolences to De Miguel’s family, describing the incident as a devastating experience for everyone involved.
Defending his teammate, he said, “Those of us who know him know the kind of person he is, how much he is suffering at this moment and that he would never intentionally hurt anyone.”
Spatz further noted that although unexpected incidents sometimes occur in football, nobody could have anticipated such a heartbreaking outcome.
The Equatorial Guinea Football Federation also rallied behind Owono, stating on Tuesday that the goalkeeper was experiencing “profound sorrow and grief”.
Owono, who has earned 47 international caps for Equatorial Guinea, has since deactivated his Instagram account.
Meanwhile, Spanish police have commenced a routine investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter following De Miguel’s death.
Under Spanish law, a judicial investigation is automatically launched whenever a death is classified as non-natural.
De Miguel joined Tenerife in the summer of 2025 on a three-year deal and is survived by his child.
Following the tragedy, tributes have continued to pour in from across the football community, with European matches scheduled to observe a minute’s silence throughout the week.
Tenerife has also declared six official days of mourning and suspended all club activities during the period.
The club’s players, officials and staff are expected to attend the striker’s funeral in Navahermosa, Toledo.
Additionally, Tenerife will open the Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López on Saturday evening to give supporters an opportunity to pay their final respects.
In a statement, the club said De Miguel’s family was grateful for the overwhelming messages of support but requested privacy as they grieve.
“May he rest in peace,” the statement added.