Owono Banned for 12 Matches After De Miguel’s Death

Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono has received a 12-match suspension from the Spanish Football Federation following a collision with Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel, who died a day after the incident.

The federation’s disciplinary committee announced the ban on Friday, ruling that Owono used excessive force when he challenged De Miguel during a Segunda Division match on November 2.

The 25-year-old goalkeeper was sent off after striking the 30-year-old striker in the chest with his leg during a challenge near the centre circle.

De Miguel suffered a cardiac arrest following the collision and died the next day.

In its ruling, the disciplinary committee said the referee’s report recorded that Owono had been dismissed for “violently striking an opponent in the chest with his leg, using excessive force, while the ball was in play”.

It said the circumstances justified the maximum suspension of 12 matches under its disciplinary rules, which cover violent conduct against an opponent resulting in serious injury.

“The tragic outcome of the incident, resulting in the death of Jesus de Miguel, is public knowledge,” the committee said, adding that the sanction was justified by the nature of the conduct and the circumstances surrounding it.

The federation also confirmed that the match, which was abandoned seven minutes into stoppage time, would retain its 2-2 scoreline.

It said restarting the game from the point of the incident would not be appropriate given the circumstances.

Meanwhile, Andorra manager Carles Manso said Owono had not decided whether he would return to football.

“He is deeply affected by the situation,” Manso said on Thursday. “We will give him the space to feel completely free to decide whether, and when, he might want to return.”

Owono had earlier expressed his “enormous pain” over De Miguel’s death, saying he would face the consequences of the incident “with the utmost respect”.

Spanish police have opened an investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter, a standard procedure under Spanish law in such circumstances.