Jesus Owono could face prison for his part in the death of Jesus de Miguel, the Tenerife striker who tragically lost his life following a cardiac arrest.
The football world is in mourning for De Miguel after the 30-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest in hospital in Santa Cruz on Tuesday morning, following a high challenge from Andorra FC goalkeeper Owono in a La Liga 2 clash between the two teams.
Owono collided with De Miguel towards the end of the game, with 10-man Andorra chasing the match from 2-0 down and was punished with a red card by referee Manuel Angel Perez Hernandez, as he left the field to chants of “assassin” from Tenerife fans.
Jesus Owono's challenge led to the death of Jesus de Miguel, with punishments to be decided
Social media has called for Owono to receive a lifetime ban from football, with reports in the local media in Tenerife claiming that The Homicide Group of the National Police in Santa Cruz is already investigating the circumstances of De Miguel's death.
While there are thankfully no precedents established in a tragic case like this in Spanish football, Article 142 of the Spanish Penal Code distinguishes between manslaughter due to gross negligence and manslaughter due to less serious negligence.
If proven, gross negligence can carry a prison sentence of up to four years for Owono, while the lesser charge may simply result in a fine.
The Spanish Football Federation’s Disciplinary Code says that players found to have committed violent conduct during play and inflicted serious injury can be banned for anywhere between four and 12 matches.
De Miguel was knocked to the floor after his chest collided with the knee of Owono, following the Equatorial Guinea international rushing from his goal to meet the forward.
Medical help was urgently flagged by De Miguel's team-mates, with the player's condition originally described as “stable, given the seriousness of the condition” on Monday night.
Tenerife released a second statement in the early hours of Tuesday morning to state that De Miguel had “deteriorated neurologically”, before confirming later on Tuesday morning that he had passed away in hospital.
Owono was said to have been crying and praying in the dressing room after the match was abandoned, and has since deleted his Instagram account after being flooded with abuse.
Equatorial Guinean Football Federation president, Venancio Tomas Ndong Micha, has issued his “full solidarity and support” to the goalkeeper, while expressing condolences for the loss of De Miguel.
Andorra centre-back Lautaro Spatz, meanwhile, released a statement to support his team-mate, claiming “he would never intentionally hurt anyone”.
