Jesús de Miguel death sparks urgent plea for soccer medical rule change
· Yahoo Sports
Following the tragic death of Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel, physiotherapist Antonio Pérez has called for a rule change in soccer that would allow medical personnel to enter the field without requiring the referee's authorization. According to a preliminary autopsy report, De Miguel died from 'accidental chest trauma' after sustaining a severe collision during a match against FC Andorra.
The incident unfolded in the 97th minute as De Miguel sprinted toward the ball. Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono charged out of his area, attempting to clear it, but collided forcefully with the striker, striking him hard in the chest.
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Owono received a red card, while De Miguel was treated on the field before suffering a cardiac arrest. The striker was rushed by ambulance to Hospital Universitario de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, where doctors initially succeeded in stabilizing his condition.
Tragically, however, he passed away on Tuesday morning. The match was abandoned following the incident, with the Royal Spanish Football Federation suspending all fixtures until Friday.
Pérez subsequently took to social media to extend his condolences to De Miguel's family while highlighting what he considers to be a critical change needed in soccer to better safeguard players. In a video, the physiotherapist urged governing authorities to reassess the regulations dictating how rapidly medical staff can respond to on-field emergencies.
He said via The Mirror: "There is a rule in football that needs to change: as a professional, as a medical practitioner, I should be able to step in at the slightest sign of concern.
"'Get up already!' - a phrase I heard so often while working on the pitch. Yesterday, Jesús de Miguel did not get up. And I want you to look closely at the play. More than 10 seconds pass from the moment of the unfortunate collision until medical staff arrive.
"This is because the referee chooses to issue a red card before attending to the player. The more time that passes, the lower the likelihood of recovery. This applies not only to cardiac events but also to more common types of concussions, such as head concussions.
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"The thing is, I've spent the last two years working in rugby. In rugby, if I see a potentially serious incident on the field, I can go straight onto the pitch without needing anyone's permission. In football, the referee has to notice the situation and initiate the protocol.
"While there are plenty of cameras in the top two divisions, that is not the case in other tiers. As a physiotherapist or doctor in football, I should be able to enter the pitch the moment I suspect something is wrong. In Jesús's case, the details are not fully known, and rightly so, as they have not disclosed much information."
Pérez believes that this incident could serve as a watershed moment to prevent the repeat of a catastrophe of similar scale. "There are many other instances where the reluctance to stop the game leads to a worse prognosis and a more tragic outcome," he added.
"In football, health should take precedence over the spectacle. I truly hope they take this step forward," he concluded, while also offering his support to Jesús's family and wishing him "eternal rest."
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Alongside the video, Pérez wrote: "They need to change this rule. Having been involved in rugby for so long, I'll never understand why football doesn't follow suit, given how serious a problem the time that elapses after a concussion is.
"It shouldn't depend on a referee – who's juggling a thousand things – noticing it; that just shows that the focus is still more on the spectacle than on health. Jesús's case is a private matter and must remain so; that's what cardiologists are for. May he rest in peace, and a huge hug to his family and loved ones."