‘A void that is impossible to fill’ – tributes paid at De Miguel funeral
Jesus de Miguel's family said "the mark he has left on so many people" was something they would always remember as the footballer's funeral took place on Thursday.
The football world mourned the loss of Jesus de Miguel, a talented 30-year-old forward who died after sustaining a serious injury during a Spanish second division match on Monday. The collision with FC Andorra's goalkeeper, Jesus Owono, left De Miguel motionless on the pitch and he succumbed to his injuries at a hospital on Tuesday.
Owono was dismissed for the challenge, and the match was called off. De Miguel's funeral was held in his hometown of Navahermosa, Toledo, attended by his Tenerife teammates, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, Atletico Madrid CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin, and former coach Jose Antonio Camacho.
De Miguel's family expressed gratitude for the outpouring of love and support, emphasizing that no words could adequately convey their appreciation for the messages, calls, and gestures they received. The Tenerife team's agent, Manuel Hernandez, stated that the loss of Jesus would leave an "impossible to fill" void, but that cherished memories would remain with those who knew him.
The football community held a minute's silence at all European competition matches throughout the week in tribute to De Miguel. FC Andorra goalkeeper Owono expressed his deep anguish over the loss, describing it as the most challenging period of his life and honoring the memory of Jesus, his family, and all who loved him. The family requested privacy during this difficult time.
Flowers and candles were placed beneath a black and white image of De Miguel at the stadium in Tenerife where the fatal match took place. In response to the tragedy, the Spanish footballers' union, the AFE, requested that all weekend matches be postponed to respect De Miguel's passing. Several matches, including Tenerife's game against Granada and Andorra's fixture against Mallorca, had already been postponed.
The union argued that the footballers, across all levels, unanimously felt that the psychological and humane conditions were not suitable for regular competition at this time.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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