The Spanish football federation’s disciplinary committee on Friday suspended FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono for 12 matches after his challenge on Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel led to the player’s death last week. Owono was sent off in the second division match on November 2 after racing into midfield and colliding with De Miguel while attempting to clear an aerial ball. De Miguel, 30, was placed in intensive care and died on November 3. The case has become one of the most sensitive disciplinary and legal matters in Spanish football, with police investigating the incident under judicial supervision.
Key Takeaways: The committee imposed the maximum 12-match ban, citing the referee’s report that Owono “violently struck an opponent in the chest with his leg, using excessive force, while the ball was in play.” De Miguel died on November 3; Spanish police sources told AFP an investigation had been opened under judicial supervision.
In its statement, the committee said its assessment had to be based on the facts expressly recorded in the referee’s report. “The assessment of the conduct under consideration in these proceedings must be based on the facts expressly recorded in the referee’s report, which states that the player was sent off for ‘violently striking an opponent in the chest with his leg, using excessive force, while the ball was in play’,” the committee said. It added that the “tragic outcome” — De Miguel’s death — was public knowledge and that the nature of the conduct and accompanying circumstances justified the maximum sanction.
Owono, 25, said in a statement published by his club that he was enduring the “hardest days of my life.” “These are the hardest days of my life. I struggle to find the words, and it is very difficult for me to process anything that has happened,” he said. “I feel immense pain over the loss of Jesus. I think of him, of his family, and of all the people who loved him. I know there will be many issues to address, and I will face whatever comes with the utmost respect. But right now, honestly, I cannot think about anything other than Jesus and the pain we are going through. Rest in peace, Jesus.” He withdrew from Equatorial Guinea’s squad for this month’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Zimbabwe.
FC Andorra coach Carles Manso said Thursday that Owono would decide if and when he returns to football, adding the club would give the goalkeeper time and space. On Saturday, Tenerife fans and players gathered at the club’s stadium for a memorial and farewell to De Miguel. His funeral took place last Thursday and about 400 mourners attended, including Spain coach Luis de la Fuente and Real Madrid President Florentino Perez. The police investigation remains open, and further legal and disciplinary developments are pending.
Source: www.aljazeera.com