Andorra defender Lautaro Spatz has defended goalkeeper Jesús Owono following the death of Tenerife forward Jesús de Miguel after a collision during a Spanish second-division fixture on Monday.

Spatz said the 25-year-old goalkeeper was deeply affected by the incident, insisting that he would never deliberately cause harm to another player.

De Miguel, 30, died after suffering a cardiac arrest following a collision with Owono during the closing moments of the match between Tenerife and Andorra.

The encounter was level at 2-2, seven minutes into stoppage time, when Owono rushed towards the centre circle to clear a long ball but collided with De Miguel, striking him with his knee.

The Tenerife forward collapsed on the pitch and received emergency medical attention before being taken to hospital by ambulance. Owono was shown a red card, while the match was subsequently abandoned.

Reacting to the tragedy on social media on Wednesday, Spatz expressed his condolences to De Miguel’s family and described the incident as devastating for everyone involved.

He also urged people to understand the situation surrounding his teammate, saying: “Those of us who know him know the kind of person he is, how much he is suffering at this moment and that he would never intentionally hurt anyone.”

The Andorra defender added that although incidents were part of football, nobody could have anticipated such a tragic outcome.

The Equatorial Guinea Football Federation also expressed support for Owono, stating on Tuesday that the goalkeeper was experiencing a period of “profound sorrow and grief”.

Owono, who has made 47 international appearances for Equatorial Guinea, has since deactivated his Instagram account.

Meanwhile, Spanish police have opened an investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter following De Miguel’s death. Under Spanish law, a judicial inquiry is initiated when a death is classified as non-natural.

De Miguel joined Tenerife in the summer of 2025 on a three-year contract and is survived by his wife and child.

Tributes have continued to pour in from across the football community, with a minute’s silence scheduled at European matches throughout the week.

Tenerife has also declared six official days of mourning and suspended all club activities during the period.

The club’s players, officials and staff are expected to attend the striker’s funeral in Navahermosa, Toledo, while the Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López will open its doors on Saturday evening to allow supporters to pay their final respects.

In a statement, Tenerife said De Miguel’s family appreciated the messages of support but requested privacy as they mourned their loss.