Jesus de Miguel tribute held as Barcelona and Atlético skip Champions League anthem
Champions League clubs across Europe honoured Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel after his death following an on-field collision. Spanish hosts Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and Villarreal marked the occasion by not playing the competition anthem before kickoff.
The Jesus de Miguel tribute was observed across Champions League stadiums on Tuesday after the Tenerife forward died following an on-field collision. Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and Villarreal were among the clubs to honour De Miguel before kickoff, with moments of silence also held elsewhere in Europe.
De Miguel was 30. He suffered cardiac arrest after being struck in the chest by FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono during a second-division match on Monday.
Spanish hosts skip the Champions League anthem
The three Spanish teams hosting Champions League games on Tuesday — Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and Villarreal — chose not to play the customary competition anthem ahead of kickoff in honour of De Miguel.
The decision created a visibly different pre-match scene at those grounds, where the tribute took place before the football began. It was one of the clearest gestures from the Spanish clubs involved in the European fixtures.
De Miguel had been playing for Tenerife, and the response from clubs in Spain formed part of a wider tribute across the Champions League programme.
Moment of silence held across Europe
In the Spanish stadiums and at other Champions League venues, supporters, players and staff observed a moment of silence in memory of De Miguel.
At Old Trafford, where Manchester United were playing Roma, the tribute was also held before kickoff. A picture of the forward was displayed on the big screens inside the grounds as clubs paused to remember him.
The observances linked matches across different countries on a night when the Champions League schedule continued under the shadow of De Miguel’s death.
What happened to Jesus de Miguel
De Miguel’s death followed a second-division match on Monday involving Tenerife and FC Andorra. He suffered cardiac arrest after being struck in the chest by Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono during the game.
The tributes on Tuesday centred on his memory and the impact of the incident on the football community. Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and Villarreal each marked the occasion while hosting their Champions League fixtures.
Arsenal figures pay tribute before Slavia Prague match
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and midfielder Mikel Merino also paid tribute to De Miguel on the eve of Wednesday’s match against Slavia Prague.
Arteta and Merino, both Spaniards, opened their news conferences with a tribute to the Tenerife forward. Their gesture added to the wider response from figures connected to Spanish football as Champions League teams prepared for their matches.
Champions League continues after tributes
The pre-match ceremonies underlined the scale of the reaction to De Miguel’s death, with Spanish clubs and stadiums around Europe taking time to honour him before returning to competition.
Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Villarreal, Manchester United, Roma, Arsenal and Slavia Prague were all connected to the tribute moments across the Champions League schedule, as football paused briefly in memory of the 30-year-old Tenerife forward.