12-Game Suspension Hits Andorra Goalie After De Miguel's Death

Spain's soccer federation suspended FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono for 12 games after a collision with CD Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel led to the 30-year-old's death, the Associated Press reported, citing a ruling by the federation's disciplinary committee issued Friday, 10 days after De Miguel died.

What happened in the collision?

De Miguel was chasing a high ball in midfield near the end of the Nov. 2 match in Santa Cruz de Tenerife when Owono, who had rushed far outside his own penalty area, struck him in the chest, according to the Associated Press report carried by the New York Post. De Miguel suffered cardiac arrest following the impact and died the next day. Owono received a red card on the field for the challenge.

Why 12 games, and what did the federation say?

The Spanish soccer federation's disciplinary committee found that Owono used what it called "excessive force" in the collision, the AP reported. That finding is the legal basis cited for the 12-game ban, which is longer than a typical red-card suspension in Spanish football and reflects the committee's judgment that the contact exceeded a normal defensive challenge, according to the ruling as reported by the AP. No further detail from the committee's written decision — such as the specific rule article applied — was included in the available reporting.

Could Owono face criminal charges?

Spanish police have opened an investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter, the AP reported. Under Spanish law, deaths from non-natural causes, including accidents, automatically trigger a judicial investigation. Despite that inquiry, prosecutors have told the AP that criminal proceedings are considered unlikely. The distinction matters: the federation's 12-game suspension is a sporting sanction decided independently of any criminal process, and the two tracks — disciplinary and judicial — can reach different conclusions or run on different timelines.

What have Owono and his club said?

Owono issued a statement through FC Andorra expressing remorse and offering condolences to De Miguel's family, according to the AP. He has not spoken publicly in his own voice beyond that club statement, based on the available reporting.

Andorra coach Carles Manso addressed Owono's situation on Thursday, saying it will be up to the goalkeeper himself to decide when, or whether, to return to the field. "He is deeply affected by the situation," Manso said, according to the AP. "We will give him the space to feel completely free to decide whether, and when, he might want to return."

That comment signals the club is not pushing a return timeline, separate from whatever the 12-game sporting ban technically allows once appeals, if any, are resolved.

What does a 12-game ban actually mean for Owono's season?

A 12-match suspension in a domestic league season typically removes a goalkeeper from roughly a third of a standard campaign, though the exact competitive impact depends on which competitions count toward the ban and how far into the season it was issued. The available reporting does not specify whether the suspension applies only to league fixtures or also to cup and other competitions, nor does it state whether Owono or FC Andorra intend to appeal the committee's decision. Manso's remarks suggest that even once the suspension lapses, Owono's actual return to competition may hinge more on his own readiness than on the calendar.

Why did the disciplinary panel act so quickly?

The ruling came 10 days after De Miguel's death, a relatively fast turnaround for a federation disciplinary body weighing a fatality connected to on-field conduct. The AP's reporting does not detail the committee's internal process, witness testimony, or whether video review played a specific role in the "excessive force" finding, so the full evidentiary basis for the 12-game figure — as opposed to a shorter or longer ban — is not spelled out in the available record.

What is documented is the sequence: a red card issued in real time on Nov. 2, De Miguel's death on Nov. 3, and the federation's suspension handed down Nov. 13. Any further detail on the manslaughter investigation's status, or on whether De Miguel's family or CD Tenerife have made separate statements, was not included in the sourced reporting.

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