Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has described the death of Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel as “shocking,” following a collision on the pitch that left the football world in mourning.
De Miguel, 30, died on Tuesday, a day after he was placed in intensive care. The striker was involved in a heavy collision with FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono during a Spanish second division match, which was subsequently abandoned.
According to Spanish media reports, De Miguel suffered a cardiac arrest and was resuscitated at the scene before passing away in hospital the following day.
Real Madrid held a minute’s silence before training on Tuesday in honour of the fallen player, a gesture that underlined the sense of loss felt across Spanish football.
A Loss Felt Across Football
Speaking to reporters, Mourinho expressed his sorrow and extended his sympathies to those closest to De Miguel, while also acknowledging the difficult position of the goalkeeper involved in the incident.
“I think it’s something very shocking for the world in general, so imagine for the world of football, for people like us who are on the pitch competing every day,” Mourinho said. “It’s hard, it’s sad. Obviously, all our words and feelings go out to the family and friends of the player who passed away, and I also think this has to be a very, very, very difficult moment for the other player involved in the situation.”
Owono, an Equatorial Guinea international, had raced into the middle of the pitch in an attempt to clear the ball when the collision occurred. The Andorra goalkeeper was sent off following the incident.
Madrid Turn Attention to Champions League
Mourinho’s side are due to face AEK Athens in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Real Madrid having won all three of their matches in the league phase so far.
The Portuguese coach confirmed that winger Vinicius Junior would start the match, despite the player serving a four-match domestic suspension.
In Vinicius’s absence, Yan Diomande has impressed, while Brahim Diaz, Arda Guler and Endrick are also competing for minutes in a star-studded attack that includes France forward Kylian Mbappe and England international Jude Bellingham.
Mourinho insisted that having such a deep pool of attacking talent was no cause for concern.
“We have a lot of quality players — having many players is never a problem for me, the problem is having few,” he said. “The problem is not having options. Having many is good. Diomande is a player who can play on both wings, Brahim is a player who can play on both wings, Endrick more on the right but also on the left.
“Vini, of all of them, is the one who is best suited to play on the wing, on the left wing. We know that.”
Wednesday’s fixture offers Madrid the chance to maintain their perfect record in the competition, though the mood around the club remains tempered by the tragedy that has shaken the wider football community.
