Álex Suárez, a player for UD Las Palmas, has voiced his heartfelt support for the family of Jesús de Miguel, a CD Tenerife player who passed away on Tuesday. Speaking at a press conference, Suárez acknowledged the difficulty of focusing on sports following such a tragic event, suggesting that football should not take place this weekend.
As a respected voice in the locker room and the team's second captain, Suárez conveyed his "affection, encouragement, and support" to Jesús de Miguel's family and the Tenerife fanbase. He admitted to feeling nervous during the press conference, despite his experience, stating, "It is very difficult to concentrate on the sporting aspect; these situations go beyond football, and we will try to face it with the utmost responsibility to show our love and respect for the situation. Talking about football becomes secondary; he was a fellow professional and from a brother club; there are no colours here."
Suárez believes that the upcoming match should not go ahead, asserting, "Football should stop, but that is just my opinion. This situation transcends football, but ultimately we do what we are told." He also mentioned that these are "difficult times" for the families of the UD Las Palmas players, who are understandably concerned about the implications of such incidents, realising that it could happen to anyone.
While Suárez refrained from directing a message to Jesús Owono, the goalkeeper involved in the incident, he clarified that he does not believe Owono intended to harm the Tenerife forward. "I do not want to judge anyone, but that has already happened, and now is not the time to send messages; it is about facing the situation, staying united, and giving all our support, especially to Jesús de Miguel's family," he concluded.
UD Las Palmas is scheduled to play against Eldense on Sunday at the Estadio de Gran Canaria for the thirteenth round of LaLiga Hypermotion. The team hopes to receive permission to pause the game at the ninth minute as a tribute to Jesús de Miguel. Suárez highlighted that this initiative is a beautiful gesture, and everyone agrees on honouring Jesús de Miguel, his family, friends, and Tenerife fans.
Additionally, UD Las Palmas will send a delegation to the Heliodoro Rodríguez López Stadium in Santa Cruz de Tenerife on Saturday, where a mass will be held at 18:00 in memory of the deceased player. The event is expected to be well-attended and open to the public.
