Miguel

Fans of Spanish football club CD Tenerife gathered outside the Estadio Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez in Santa Cruz de Tenerife as tributes poured in for forward Jesus de Miguel, who died after an on-field collision.

De Miguel died on Tuesday from injuries sustained in a clash with FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono during a Spanish second-division match, leaving Spanish and European football in mourning.

Spanish police have opened an investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife chief prosecutor Jose Luis Sanchez-Jauregui told the Spanish news agency EFE that criminal charges were unlikely because the collision happened in the course of play.

Tributes were held before Champions League fixtures on Tuesday, with Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Villarreal opting not to play the competition’s anthem before kickoff in honour of De Miguel, 30, who went into cardiac arrest after being struck in the chest.

Moments of silence were observed in those stadiums and others across Europe, including at Old Trafford, where Manchester United were playing Roma. Images of De Miguel were shown on giant screens inside the grounds.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and midfielder Mikel Merino also began their news conferences on the eve of Wednesday’s match against Slavia Prague by paying tribute to De Miguel.

De Miguel had been at Tenerife for just over a season, having joined in the summer of 2025 from Castellon. The striker helped the team gain promotion to the second division.

The Spanish forward began his career with Leganes at youth level in the Madrid suburbs, playing for a string of teams, including Unionistas de Salamanca, before signing for Castellon in 2023.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said at a news conference the incident was “heartbreaking”.

“To see a colleague lose his life in such a manner, it’s beyond any words that I can put today,” said the Spanish coach.

Other sports stars, including retired Spanish tennis icon Rafael Nadal, Argentine great Lionel Messi, and Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo also left messages on Instagram.

“There are no words. My condolences and lots of strength to all his family and friends,” wrote Inter Miami forward Messi.

Nadal expressed a “terrible sadness” at De Miguel’s passing “from the bottom of my heart”.

“A tragedy. No words,” Ronaldo wrote.

“Lots of strength to the family. May he rest in peace.”

Former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, who co-owns Andorra, said: “I am sorry with all my soul. Rest in peace, Jesus.”

De Miguel’s Tenerife team-mates also paid tribute on social media.

Midfielder Juanjo Sanchez said: “You let me into your heart, and you earned a place in mine, as we shared moments of laughter every single day and took walks barefoot after our training sessions.

“I cannot let this moment pass without highlighting what a wonderful person you are. You never had an unkind word or a sour expression for anyone, and you always displayed exemplary conduct, despite all the challenges you faced.

“You will always be with me, my friend.”

Striker Enric Gallego described De Miguel as “one of the best people” he has met, in an emotional statement.

“Thank you for everything we experienced together – for your camaraderie, your character, your humanity and the exemplary attitude you always showed,” he said.

“I feel very fortunate to have shared a locker room with you. I’m going to miss you so much.”

Forward Fran Sabina said: “There is no explanation or words that make sense of something like this.

“You were an important person in my life.

“We were lucky enough to share unforgettable moments, laughter, stories and experiences that today become memories that I will cherish forever in my heart.

“Thank you my friend. Thank you for every moment lived, for every shared experience, for the laughter, for your affection and, most of all, for this sincere friendship that we had.

“The appreciation we had was mutual. And that’s something neither time nor your absence can ever change.”

Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel is in a stable condition in intensive care after suffering a serious injury during a Spanish second division match on Monday.

The 30-year-old suffered injuries in the region of his head and chest in added time of Tenerife’s home fixture against Andorra, following a collision with visiting goalkeeper Jesus Owono.

Spanish media, including Marca, external, reported De Miguel suffered a cardiac arrest in the ambulance and was resuscitated by paramedics on the way to hospital.

A statement from Tenerife said the Madrid-born De Miguel was admitted to the University Hospital of Nuestra Senora de Candelaria and was “stable despite the severity of his condition”.

Tenerife and Andorra were tied 2-2 and seven minutes into stoppage time when the incident occurred.

Owono had run towards the centre circle to clear a long ball when his knee appeared to collide with De Miguel.

De Miguel lay motionless on the pitch as medical staff treated him before he was taken by ambulance from Tenerife’s Estadio Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez to hospital.

Players from both teams were visibly distressed by the incident, with a number of De Miguel’s team-mates in tears.

The referee showed Owono a straight red card before abandoning the match.

A statement from Andorra said: “We want to send all our strength and best wishes to Jesus de Miguel after the serious incident suffered during today’s match.

“We hope he recovers soon. A very strong hug to the player, his family and Tenerife.”

Miguel Rojas didn’t want to take his cleats off.

The veteran infielder stood by his locker at Dodger Stadium, his eyes red and watery, his uniform covered in dirt, knowing that when he pulled them off, it would be for the last time.

“This is it, guys,” he said, announcing his retirement, after the Dodgers were swept by the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series on Thursday. “It’s been a lot, the last four years of my life here. And obviously making my debut here in 2014 changed my life, not just for me but for my whole family. They took care of my son, my daughter, my wife, and everybody in my family. It’s really amazing what I can think about, what happened to me and to my family the last few years.”

Rojas addressed the team after the 6-4 loss to the Brewers. He said he was going to stay loyal to the Dodgers organization but in a different role.

Rojas, 37, has a player development role lined up, the first step in a post-playing career that he hopes eventually will land him in a manager’s seat.

“I just wanted to say thank you to all the veteran guys for allowing me to be myself when I got here, even though I didn’t play one game for the Los Angeles Dodgers for the last eight or nine years before I came here,” Rojas said. “They allowed me to be the leader that I wanted to be, the person that I wanted to change the culture and kind of give a little bit more of a culture, chemistry to the clubhouse. I feel like that is going to be a legacy that I wanted to leave here, other than my performance on the field. … I want them to remember me as a guy who always did everything possible to help my teammates win and to help the team get better every single day.”

Rojas put together a 13-year career split between the Dodgers and Miami Marlins. He had a career .260 batting average, won two World Series rings and three straight Roy Campanella Awards for his leadership in the Dodgers’ clubhouse.

Miguel Rojas hits a single during Game 3 of the NLCS against the Brewers on Wednesday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

After Rojas made his major league debut with the Dodgers in 2014, the team traded him to the Marlins. He played eight seasons there. Then in 2023, the Marlins traded him back to the Dodgers.

Rojas, a key contributor in the Dodgers’ back-to-back championship seasons, saved the Dodgers’ 2025 World Series with his Game 7 home run. He re-signed in December for what was expected to be his last season.

Right before the playoffs, Rojas, who is from Venezuela, took his U.S. citizenship test. He said the person administering his interview didn’t realize he was a baseball player until she asked who his employer was.

“I actually wanted it to be that way because I didn’t want to have any kind of preference or anything because this process has nothing to do with baseball,” he said last week. “I felt like, as a citizen, as a human being, I always wanted to be a good person off the field and not let my performance influence anything, because we all know how hard this game can be and how high you can be and how low you can be one day. I don’t want to be judged by my performance on the field. I want to be judged by the person I am and my preparation.”