Jesús Owono faces up to four years after Jesús de Miguel’s death

Goalkeeper Jesús Owono (FC Andorra) could face up to four years in prison over the death of CD Tenerife forward Jesús de Miguel after De Miguel suffered a cardiac arrest and later died in hospital in Santa Cruz, following a collision in a LaLiga 2 match on Tuesday.

Owono’s clash with De Miguel happened late in the game and Tenerife’s teammates urgently signalled for medical help. His condition was initially described as “stable” the night of Monday, but Tenerife later stated that De Miguel had “deteriorated neurologically” before confirming his death in the early hours.

The legal framework

The report says Spain’s Penal Code article 142 differentiates between manslaughter through gross negligence and through less serious negligence. If gross negligence were proven, Owono could receive a sentence of up to four years; the lesser charge could result in a fine. It also cites the Spanish Football Federation disciplinary code, which can lead to bans from four to 12 matches for violent conduct that causes serious injury.

During the match, Owono was shown a red card by referee Manuel Ángel Pérez Hernández. The article adds that the Andorra goalkeeper collided with De Miguel toward the end while the visitors were chasing a 2-0 deficit with 10 men, and that Tenerife fans chanted “assassin”. The piece also notes Owono reportedly cried and prayed in the dressing room and later deleted his Instagram after receiving abuse.