Jesus Owono has been subject to racist abuse after being involved in a collision with Jesus De Miguel in a Spanish Second Division. De Miguel was rushed to the hospital and eventually passed on Tuesday.
Since the news was confirmed by Tenerife, netizens flooded Owono's social media acounts with racist abuse. Owono eventually deleted his Instagram account while his X account has been inactive for more than two years.
Fans brand Owono as murderer after De Miguel's death
As per Spanish website AS, it has been a difficult time for the goalkeeper since the incident. The match was abandoned following the collision as De Miguel was rushed to the hospital. Owono received a direct red card and was distressed as described by the report.
It claims that the 25-year-old was crying and praying for De Miguel's speedy recovery in the locker room. As he left the stadium, several fans chanted 'Murderer, Murderer' at his direction.
He deleted his Instagram account which was active only for a little while after De Miguel's death was confirmed. He last posted on his X account over two years ago. Under that post, several hate comments have been lodged, branding him as a criminal and asking him to 'go to back to his country'.
What punished could goalkeeper Owono face?
Owono rushed out of his goal to challenge for a long ball and collided with De Miguel, striking the striker with his raised knee. He was issed a straight red card which makes him ineligible for the next game.
Given the seriousness of the challenge, further punishment could also be levied. He could face a suspension of four to 12 matches under Article 102 of the Royal Spanish Football Federation's disciplinary code. The final punishment will depend on the disciplinary committee's assessment of the incident.
