Family thankful for support as De Miguel funeral held

What the report says

The family of Jesus de Miguel said they will always remember the impact he had on others as the Tenerife forward’s funeral was held in Spain on Thursday. De Miguel, 30, died after a serious injury during a Spanish second division match on Monday. He was treated on the pitch after a collision with FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono, then taken to hospital, where he died early on Tuesday. Owono was sent off and the match was abandoned.

According to BBC Sport, the funeral took place in Navahermosa, the town in the province of Toledo where De Miguel’s parents are from, about 125km from Madrid. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente and senior figures from Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid were among those reported to have attended. The family, through his agent, thanked supporters, teammates, clubs and others for messages of sympathy, while also asking for privacy as they grieve.

Tributes have continued across Spanish football and beyond. Flowers and candles were left at Tenerife’s stadium after his death, and a minute’s silence has been held at European matches this week. The Spanish players’ union has also asked for this weekend’s league fixtures to be postponed, arguing that the sport should not continue as normal while players are dealing with the emotional impact of the death. More broadly, the case has prompted renewed attention on player safety and the human cost of serious on-field injuries.