Lionel Messi sends condolences to Spanish footballer who died following collision

Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi sent his condolences to the family of Tenerife forward Jesús de Miguel, who died Tuesday after suffering cardiac arrest. De Miguel collapsed after a collision with FC Andorra’s goalkeeper during a match.

“There are no words for this,” wrote Messi on an Instagram story. “My condolences and a lot of strength for his family and friends. May he rest in peace.”

The events unfolded on Monday, when De Miguel’s Tenerife hosted FC Andorra in a match for the Spanish second division.

How did Jesús de Miguel die? With the game tied 2-2 in the 97th minute of added time, the forward was attempting to control the ball in midfield to launch a counterattack when goalkeeper Jesús Owono rushed out to stop him and struck De Miguel in the chest with his knee. He was immediately sent off for the action.

De Miguel remained curled up on the ground for a moment before collapsing. Alarmed players on the pitch immediately requested medical attention for him.

According to Spanish media outlets, De Miguel suffered cardiac arrest after the collision but was successfully resuscitated after more than five minutes of effort by the medical team. He was transported to the Intensive Care Unit at the Nuestra Señora de Candelaria University Hospital in Tenerife.

De Miguel’s condition was initially reported as stable, but his neurological condition later deteriorated. The club announced his death in the early hours of Tuesday.

According to newspaper El País, the Spanish National Police opened a judicial investigation into goalkeeper Owono following the fatal incident. Such inquiries are standard procedure whenever a death is not attributed to natural causes.

De Miguel, 30, was married and had a one-year-old daughter.

Goalkeeper Owono closed his social media accounts on Tuesday, after reportedly receiving comments branding him a “murderer” on his posts.