Arabic version: سيرفيرا يتقبل إيقاف أوونو 12 مباراة
According to BBC News, Tenerife manager Alvaro Cervera said Jesus Owono’s 12-match ban “might seem a bit light” when compared with other cases, but accepted that the regulations did not specifically account for the circumstances surrounding the incident.
FC Andorra goalkeeper Owono, 25, was sent off after colliding with Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel in the closing stages of the Spanish second-tier match between the sides on 2 November. De Miguel died the following day aged 30. The Spanish football federation’s disciplinary committee confirmed Owono’s suspension on Friday.
The committee imposed the maximum punishment available to it, saying it could consider only the offence on the pitch and not “the tragic outcome of the incident”. It said its decision had to be based on the facts recorded in the referee’s report, which stated that Owono was sent off for “violently striking an opponent in the chest with his leg, using excessive force, while the ball was in play”.
Speaking before Tenerife’s match against Ceuta on Sunday, their first since De Miguel’s death, Cervera said the regulations had been followed. He described the team’s return to training and preparation for the fixture as “tough” and “complicated”, adding that players were gradually making progress but that everyone was coping differently. Cervera said he was unsure whether all of his players were ready to return to action, as some might welcome the distraction while others might not yet be in the right frame of mind.
