Tenerife bids final farewell to Miguel with flowers, tears and love

Jesus de Miguel will never return to the football field. But he will remain forever in the hearts of his teammates and supporters. The untimely death of the CD Tenerife forward has cast a shadow of grief over the entire football world. Now Tenerife's players, supporters and family members have bid farewell to their beloved teammate with tearful respect and love.

On Saturday, a special memorial was held on the same ground where de Miguel had collapsed five days earlier. Thousands of people gathered at the Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez Stadium in Santa Cruz, the capital of Spain's Canary Islands. Bouquets of flowers were placed at the spot on the pitch where de Miguel had fallen.

His teammates came onto the pitch dressed in black. Above them hung a banner reading 'Eterno Demi 9' — eternal Demi 9. The number 9 shirt was known to his teammates as Demi.

In the stands, supporters chanted his name again and again. The name that once roared around the gallery in celebration of goals became, that day, a cry of farewell. After applause broke the silence, the club's centenary anthem was played.

Captain Enrique Gallego could not hold back his emotions while delivering the farewell speech on behalf of his teammates. He remembered de Miguel's simplicity and his habit of never troubling others. Once, after his car broke down, de Miguel walked all the way home rather than asking anyone for help.

An emotional Gallego said, 'It is still hard to believe that this has happened to us. Demi, you will always remain one of us. It is still hard for us to accept the truth that you will no longer be with us.'

At the memorial, everyone present welcomed de Miguel's parents, sister, wife and daughter with applause. Amid the grief of losing a loved one, the family received the love and support of thousands of people.

Captain Gallego promised that de Miguel's 18-month-old daughter Carla will grow up hearing stories of her father's memory and contributions. The club has announced financial support for the girl until she turns 18.

On this day of grief, the football rivalry of the islands seemed to fade away. The supporters' group of rival club UD Las Palmas, 'Ultra Nacione', also paid tribute with bouquets of flowers at the memorial.

Jose Diaz Muros, president of Tenerife supporters' group Pena Iberica, said, 'When a player becomes part of your team, he also becomes part of your life. He is woven into the conversations at home, the weekends, and the memories shared with family. That is why even without knowing him personally, such a death feels like losing someone very close.'

De Miguel's death was confirmed on Tuesday. Earlier, on Monday, Tenerife had faced Andorra in a second-division match. De Miguel was seriously injured in a collision with Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono during the match. He was taken to hospital, but could not be saved.

The tragic incident has united the Spanish football world. At the same time, questions have been raised about the role of the football authorities over the players' request to postpone matches to recover from the grief. The Spanish players' union, AFE, said that after discussions with players from various divisions, they had reached a unanimous view in favour of postponing matches. The players' mental state was not fit for a return to competition. Las Palmas defender Alejandro Suarez also said publicly, 'My mind is not on football right now.'

Three second-division matches and one women's team match of Costa Adeje Tenerife were postponed. But not all matches in every competition were postponed. The competition judge of the Spanish Football Federation said the AFE's request was not acceptable. His argument was that the authority to decide on postponing matches lies with La Liga. But the top division of Spanish football continued matches according to its schedule.

The authorities organised tributes in memory of de Miguel, including special jerseys, floral tributes, a minute's silence before matches, and stopping play in the ninth minute to honour him. The ninth-minute tribute was arranged in honour of his shirt number. But even amid these tributes, the AFE's main demand was not fully implemented.

Spanish football analyst Alberto Ortega told Al Jazeera, 'The grief has been recognised, but the collectively made request has not been fully honoured.' In his view, although there is talk about the importance of players' mental wellbeing, in practice their opinions still have limited influence when it comes to changing match schedules.

Tenerife supporters' leader Diaz Muros said, 'Observing a minute's silence is important. But giving people time and opportunity to recover from grief is also necessary.'

Alongside the continuation of matches, questions have also been raised about the emergency medical care and the process of taking him to hospital at the time of the collision. An investigation into the incident is under way. Jose Luis Sanchez-Huerga, chief prosecutor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, told the Spanish news agency EFE that a criminal case over the collision is unlikely. In his explanation, there is a legal difference between an injury from a normal collision in play and a deliberate attack.

Meanwhile, the disciplinary committee of the Spanish Football Federation has suspended its decision on punishment for Andorra goalkeeper Owono. According to an EFE report, he could face a ban of up to 12 matches.

In the view of football analyst Ortega, relying only on individual responsibility will not prevent such accidents. The effectiveness of emergency medical arrangements on the pitch must be ensured. He said, 'Having a written protocol is only the beginning. Whether those who implement it know their responsibilities and can work together in a coordinated way is what proves its effectiveness.'

He suggested an independent investigation, regular emergency drills, and checking the emergency response capability of every stadium to avoid such accidents.

Although this incident happened in professional second-division football, questions have also been raised about medical and emergency arrangements in lower-division matches. In September last year, Colindres goalkeeper Raul Ramirez died after suffering a serious injury in a fifth-division match in Spain. Although there was a defibrillator at that ground, there was no doctor or ambulance. After that, the AFE raised questions about the lack of medical arrangements in the lower divisions.

The organisation's president, David Aganzo, has now demanded that a doctor and an ambulance be ensured at all national-level competitions.

In Ortega's view, a specific policy on observing mourning should also be drawn up in discussion with players. Decisions on postponing matches, the criteria for doing so, and the involvement of teams should be determined on the basis of the opinions of the players who take the field. He also said mental-health support must continue beyond the first week.

Tenerife supporters' leader Diaz Muros wants everyone to stand by the family even after the memorial and formalities are over. In his words, 'When the tributes are over, people's attention will move elsewhere. But the family will live with this emptiness for the rest of their lives. I want arrangements to stand by them to continue even then.'

In the final moments of the memorial, the Catholic hymn 'Ave Maria' was played. Everyone stood and bid farewell to de Miguel with a final round of applause. On the stadium screen appeared a black-and-white photograph of Tenerife's number 9. Looking at the image, frozen in that familiar moment of goal celebration, tears fell from the eyes of teammates and loved ones.