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Goalkeeper involved in fatal collision gets 12-game ban
FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono has been suspended for 12 matches after a collision with Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel during a Spanish second-tier game. De Miguel died the following day, aged 30, and the ruling has drawn attention to how football authorities handle discipline after a fatal on-field incident.
The Spanish federation said it based its decision on the referee’s report, which described Owono as striking De Miguel in the chest with his leg using excessive force. The match was abandoned with the score at 2-2, seven minutes into stoppage time, and will not be replayed. Owono, 25, is spending time with his family and has not decided whether he will return to football.
In short
- Owono receives a 12-match suspension.
- De Miguel died the day after the collision.
- The abandoned match’s 2-2 score will stand.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A suspension can be justified if the referee’s report establishes that Owono used excessive force: players have a duty to compete within the rules, and serious breaches warrant meaningful sanctions even when the outcome is tragic. A clear disciplinary decision may also affirm that safety standards apply on the pitch and help maintain confidence in football’s rules.
The case against
A 12-match ban may be seen as disproportionate when the incident’s fatal consequence does not by itself establish culpability, and the available account gives only the referee’s description rather than the full evidence or Owono’s response. Discipline should turn on what can fairly be proved about his conduct and intent, with due process and an opportunity to appeal, rather than on grief or public pressure.