De la Fuente calls for support after ‘Demi’s’ death

“We have to support people who are going through a difficult time,” De la Fuente said of the families of Jesús de Miguel and Jesús Owono. The Spain coach said the national team was offering the Tenerife forward’s family “all its support” and also expressed solidarity with Andorra goalkeeper Owono.

The collision between Owono and “Demi” caused a cardiac arrest that led to the latter’s death. Speaking to EFE at the national team’s gathering at the Ciudad del Fútbol de Las Rozas, De la Fuente reflected on the pain facing both families: “This is the time to help, as much as we can, everyone who is suffering. That is also our responsibility. Jesús’s family is going through a terrible ordeal, and Owono and his whole family must also be devastated.”

The coach agreed with Deportivo Alavés manager Quique Sánchez Flores that Owono should not be blamed. “Let’s not look for more victims. It was a dramatic and tragic accident, and many families are already suffering,” he said. The match between Andorra and Tenerife took place on 2 November; “Demi” died on Tuesday the 3rd. “I can’t even imagine it,” De la Fuente added of what Owono may be going through.

The coach also repeated his condolences to De Miguel’s family and recalled attending the funeral: “I had the opportunity to be there at the funeral; it was an extremely difficult day. They know they have all our support.” He praised the tributes paid to “Demi” in the following days, saying football had shown “its unity, its strength and its sense of dignity” in a time of grief. He called the gestures “deeply moving and beautiful”.

Beyond the tragedy, De la Fuente stressed football’s social responsibility and its ability to help make society better. He regretted that the sport had sometimes been treated frivolously, far from what it represents in his view: “a school of values”, teaching generosity, solidarity, teamwork and putting the collective good first. Those principles, he said, can be carried into every area of society.

He also described football as “a bond that brings a whole country together”, a role he believes is even stronger for Spain’s national team. In his view, its supporters look beyond differences of ideology or faith to share “a feeling of pride in the country”.