An island in mourning: Tenerife processes death of De Miguel
Tenerife football club and the wider football community mourn the loss of footballer Jesus de Miguel following an on-field collision.
Key points
- Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel, 30, died after a collision with FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono on Monday.
- Fans have laid flowers, candles and scarves outside gate nine of the Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez Stadium.
- A further tribute is planned for Saturday at 18:00 GMT, the Canary Islands sports minister said.
Tenerife is in mourning after the death of striker Jesus de Miguel, who died from injuries sustained in a collision with FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono during a match on Monday. The 30-year-old had scored 11 goals in his first season as Tenerife were promoted to the second tier of Spanish football.
The Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez Stadium has become a shrine to the player, with hundreds of people gathering over the past few days to lay flowers, light candles and pay their respects. Bouquets, rosettes sent by clubs from across Spain, prayer cards, photographs, children's drawings and scarves have been placed around the grounds outside gate nine.
Fans describe emotional scenes
Lisa and Lee, visiting Tenerife from Stoke-on-Trent, attended Monday's match hoping to see Spanish football for the first time. They told BBC Sport they knew it was serious when players surrounded De Miguel, and described the stadium atmosphere as sombre and almost silent.
The couple returned on Wednesday to lay a Port Vale shirt among the tributes. "Football has no colours," Lisa said, adding that if it had been one of their own players they would be heartbroken.
Canarian sport has been left devastated
— Poli Suarez
What officials said
Carlos, a player with Tenerife's disability side Tenerife Foundation, said De Miguel "practically gave his heart and soul for the shirt" and was already a club legend. He said he was trembling for hours after leaving Monday's match.
Poli Suarez, the Canary Islands' minister for education and sport, said Tenerife was in "complete mourning" and that Canarian sport had been left devastated. He said thoughts were with De Miguel's wife, daughter and wider family, and that a further tribute is planned for Saturday at 18:00 GMT.
