Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel has died after the 30-year-old footballer suffered a serious injury during a Spanish second-division match, the BBC reports.
On Monday, during a game against football club Andorra, the forward sustained head and chest injuries following a heavy collision with goalkeeper Jesus Owono.
The incident occurred in the seventh minute of stoppage time, with the score in the match between Tenerife and Andorra level at 2-2.
Owono ran towards the centre circle to clear the ball after a long pass and, by all accounts, collided knee-first with De Miguel.
The striker lay motionless on the pitch. Medical staff treated him before an ambulance took the footballer to hospital.
The referee showed Owono a straight red card and then halted the match.
Spanish media, including Marca, reported that De Miguel suffered cardiac arrest in the ambulance, but medics were able to resuscitate him on the way to hospital.
On Monday, De Miguel’s condition was described as “stable but critical”, but on Tuesday morning his health deteriorated and the Spaniard later died.
As Reuters reported, Spanish police have opened an investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter in connection with De Miguel’s death.
Under Spanish law, any death deemed unnatural automatically triggers a judicial investigation.