Andorra defender, Lautaro Spatz, has sent his sympathies to the family and friends of Jesus de Miguel after the Tenerife striker’s death, while also offering support to his Andorra team-mate Jesus Owono.
De Miguel suffered serious head and chest trauma in a collision with goalkeeper Owono late in Monday’s Spanish second-division match.
Owono had rushed off his line to clear the ball and was shown a red card after the incident.
A statement posted on Tenerife’s social media channels on Tuesday morning confirmed that De Miguel had died from his injuries, a loss that has shaken the football world.
Spatz, who helped carry De Miguel off the pitch on a stretcher, later came on Instagram on Tuesday night to defend Owono.
He insisted that his team-mate would never deliberately harm anyone.
Spatz said, “There are moments when football stops making sense. First of all, I would like to express my most sincere condolences and send all my love to the family, friends and loved ones of Jesus.
“I would also like to say a few words about my team-mate, goalkeeper and friend, who has been deeply affected by what happened. Those of us who know him know what kind of person he is, how much he is suffering at this moment, and that he would never intentionally hurt anyone.”