Raphinha pays tribute to late Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel

Barcelona captain Raphinha has sent his condolences to the family of late Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel. This came after Barcelona's 3-0 Champions League win over Aston Villa on Tuesday.

Raphinha, who scored two goals in the match, dedicated the victory to De Miguel's family. He said he was too affected by the news of the player's death to talk about football after the game.

According to Fabrizio Romano on X, Raphinha said, "Sorry, tonight I don’t want to talk about football. It’s clear that I want to dedicate this win to the fans, but I want to send a lot of strength to Jesús de Miguel’s family.

“May he rest in peace. In the end, this can happen to anyone. The truth is that it’s very tough. When we saw the news this morning, it was complicated. I’m incredibly shocked and sad,” he added.

Raphinha shared more sympathy for De Miguel’s family. He pointed out that such incidents could happen to any professional footballer.

“In the end, you go to play a match, and the same thing could happen to you. From myself and the club, we want to send a lot of strength to his family,” he said.

Jesús de Miguel, 30, passed away on Tuesday morning in a hospital in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. He suffered a cardiac arrest after a heavy collision during Tenerife’s Segunda División game against FC Andorra on Monday evening.

The incident took place in stoppage time while the score was 2-2. Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono rushed out to clear a long ball but struck De Miguel in the chest with his knee.

Owono was shown a red card, and the match was abandoned. De Miguel received medical help on the pitch and was resuscitated after suffering cardiac arrest. He was rushed to the hospital and admitted to intensive care. Sadly, his condition got worse.

Raphinha, named man of the match after his two goals helped Barcelona win at the Spotify Camp Nou, said the news hit him hard from the moment he woke up.

After scoring, the Brazilian's celebrations were notably low-key as he reflected on the loss of a fellow professional. Before the match, there was a minute’s silence in De Miguel’s memory, and the Champions League anthem was not played.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick also shared his condolences, noting that the news had affected the squad. Meanwhile, Spanish football authorities postponed some domestic fixtures to show respect, and tributes continued across European football.

Tenerife and De Miguel’s family have asked for privacy during this difficult time.