Zinedine Zidane ‘deeply saddened’ by death of Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel

Zinedine Zidane says he was left deeply saddened by the death of Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel, who died this week after suffering a cardiac arrest following a collision with the opposing goalkeeper during a Spanish second-tier match.

The France manager was speaking at a news conference to announce his squad for their Nations League fixtures when he addressed the incident.

Zidane said he had been profoundly affected by what happened and described seeing such an event on a football pitch as extremely painful.

“I am deeply saddened by what happened,” he said. “It affected me greatly, to the point that I have goosebumps. No-one ever wants to see something like this on a football pitch.”

The France manager also sent his condolences to De Miguel’s family and said he hoped such a tragedy would never happen again.

“Above all, I feel sorry for his family,” Zidane added. “I hope I never see anything like this again on a football pitch for as long as I live.”