Matchday 4 of the 2026-27 Champions League is usually a night of celebration for the continent’s biggest clubs, but this week begins with a different atmosphere. Before kickoff in stadiums across Europe, players, coaches and fans will pause to honor someone who was part of the football family, in a gesture that goes beyond any single team or competition.
UEFA has confirmed that a minute’s silence will be observed before every match it organizes this week, including the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League, following the passing of CD Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel Alameda.
The forward passed away on Nov. 3 at the age of 30, after suffering a cardiorespiratory arrest when he was hit in the chest by the knee of FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono in the 98th minute of a 2-2 Segunda Division match. De Miguel was treated on the pitch, regained his pulse and was taken to intensive care at a hospital in Tenerife, where he lost his life hours later, according to CD Tenerife.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said in a statement that the organization was “heartbroken” by the news and had “searched for words and found only silence”. CD Tenerife said there are “no words of comfort,” while the player’s family asked for privacy at this difficult time. The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) also expressed its condolences to his relatives, friends and the club’s supporters.
A career built on perseverance
Jesus de Miguel, known in football as “Demi,” was born in Madrid on Sept. 21, 1996, and began his career in the youth ranks of CDE Lugo Fuenlabrada and CD Leganes.
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After making the jump to Leganes B in 2015-16, he spent several seasons in the lower divisions of Spanish football, with stops at Internacional de Madrid, CF Fuenlabrada and Union Adarve. His first major success came with Internacional de Madrid, where he scored nine goals in the 2017-18 season and helped the club earn promotion to Segunda Division B.
The goals kept coming at CDA Navalcarnero, where he scored in the promotion playoff that took the club to Segunda B, and then at Unionistas de Salamanca, where he netted 12 goals with four assists in 2021-22.
That form led CD Castellon to sign him in 2023, and in 2023-24 he helped the club win its Primera Federacion group and earn direct promotion to Segunda Division. De Miguel made his professional debut at 27 against Eibar in 2024, and scored his first goals in the category a month later, with a brace against Almeria. He finished his time at Castellon with 25 goals in 88 matches.
In July 2025, De Miguel joined CD Tenerife, which had just been relegated to the third tier. He scored seven goals in the first six matchdays and finished the season with 11, helping the club win its group and return to Segunda Division.
Jesus de Miguel never built a career around big clubs or major trophies, but his story was one of perseverance and love for the game. His legacy will live on in the promotions he celebrated with every team he joined, in the goals that gave supporters reason to dream, and in the long road he traveled from the lower divisions to fulfill his dream of playing professional football.
