European clubs pause games to honour Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel
Jesús de Miguel Alameda, the 30‑year‑old striker of CD Tenerife, died on Tuesday (3) after a cardiac arrest caused by a clash in a match against Andorra. He collapsed after a violent collision with Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono, was revived, taken to hospital and died a day later, prompting the Champions League to observe a minute of silence.
Immediate club reactions
Real Madrid was among the first clubs to express condolences, sending a note to the family, teammates, club and friends. The Real Madrid squad also observed a minute of silence before training.
Barcelona posted a message lamenting the tragedy. Vini Jr. and Lamine Yamal wrote "rest in peace" on Tenerife's Instagram post. Kylian Mbappé and tennis star Rafael Nadal also left messages.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo paid tribute on Instagram, according to international media. Manchester United, Paris Saint‑Germain, and the Brazilian clubs Corinthians and Santos also posted messages on social media. The image of the tribute was posted on Instagram by the account @cdtoficial Mundo.
European tributes and UEFA silence
UEFA announced a minute of silence before all its competition matches that week, including the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League. On Tuesday, the tribute took place in Champions League stadiums.
Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and Villarreal, the three Spanish clubs playing at home, chose not to play the competition anthem. The silence also remembered the victims of a railway accident in Urda, another tragedy that struck Spain that week.
Andorra goalkeeper Owino searches for words after Jesús de Miguel's tragic death
Barcelona dedicated the minute before its match against Aston Villa to both De Miguel and the Urda victims. In Old Trafford, during the Manchester United versus Roma match, the striker's photo was shown on the big screens.
Hundreds of fans gathered at the Heliodoro stadium, near gate nine, to say goodbye to Jesús de Miguel. Álex Baena arrived at the Metropolitano wearing an Atlético shirt bearing Jesús de Miguel's name and number nine, the number he wore at Tenerife. In Paris, PSG's Fabián Ruiz scored twice in a rout, pointed to the sky and formed the number nine with his hands.
In Tenerife, the farewell was more intimate. On Wednesday (4), local government representatives, the club and supporters gathered before the Cabildo for a minute of silence followed by about a minute of applause.
The club declared six days of mourning and announced a tribute at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium. UEFA said tributes would continue in matches on Wednesday and Thursday.
Champions League grief over De Miguel sparks Wednesday push
Anderlecht coach's statement
Anderlecht coach Vitor Bruno dedicated a moment at his press conference before the Europa League match against Salzburg to a message of support. He mentioned the death of Jesús de Miguel, the Tenerife striker who succumbed after a violent clash with FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono.
He recalled that Jesús de Miguel collided violently with Owono on Monday during the match. He was revived on the pitch and taken to hospital, but died a day later.
Vitor Bruno said, "My condolences to the family. It's a nightmare." He added, "No one wants to experience this kind of thing." He stressed that the opposing goalkeeper did not intend to injure his opponent.
He said, "We can certainly avoid such gestures, but the goalkeeper's intention was not to harm the opponent." He reminded of the inherent risks in football, referencing the Bentayeb incident where a player suffered a head blow against Zulte Waregem. Bruno conveyed his condolences to the family and Tenerife club on behalf of himself and RSC Anderlecht. He announced he will watch Anderlecht versus Red Bull Salzburg at 18:45 on 05/11.