Spanish footballer Jesus de Miguel's family have said they have an 'impossible void to fill' as hundreds of people gathered to pay their respects after he was killed in a freak mid-match collision with a goalkeeper.
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he → say → goalkeeper
Mourners filled the streets of De Miguel’s hometown of Navahermosa in the foothills of Montes de Toledo, outside Toledo, where he was born and his family still live.
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family → fill → Toledo
The 30-year-old Tenerife striker’s death after the on-pitch incident has stunned football-obsessed Spain and hundreds of members of the public turned out alongside his family and friends outside the parish church of San Miguel Arcángel.
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hundreds → stun → Arcángel
The late striker’s body was delivered to the church in a black Mercedes with red and pink roses and flowers just before 2pm.
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body → deliver → pm
His devastated parents and sister walked directly behind, followed by his girlfriend.
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parents → devastate → girlfriend
Hundreds of mourners, including his team-mates, followed behind, filling the entire street with the procession.
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Hundreds → include → procession
The road became so packed that some were forced to spill onto a side road as grievers observed a few minutes of silence before the church bells rang.
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bells → become → silence
Almost the entire village, some sporting UD Tenerife scarves, appeared to be in attendance and many wept as they walked into the church.
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they → sport → church
The church was so packed with mourners that at least 200 people had to listen to the service while stood outside.
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people → have → service
One message written on a small banner tied around the flowers on the hearse said ‘our family won’t forget you’.
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family → write → you
The rest of the town sat empty with shops and restaurants closed as the church service took place.
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service → sit → place
His family began delivering speeches inside the church shortly before 4pm.
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family → begin → pm
Their voices were heard breaking as they held back tears while they spoke.
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they → hear → tears
At the end of each one, mourners inside and outside the church erupted into applause.
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mourners → erupt → applause
After the 75 minute service his body was carried out of the church in a coffin by friends and family and delivered to Navahermosa Municipal Cemetery.
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body → carry → Cemetery
Devastated teammates embraced each other firmly as they left the church, with tears visible.
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tears → embrace → church
The rest of the town followed behind the hearse as the procession made its way through the back streets of the village.
The family released a statement this morning about their shock.
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family → follow → shock
Seaking on their behalf, Manuel Hernandez said: ‘Jesus leaves a void that is impossible to fill, but also an immense memory in all of us who have been lucky enough to share our lives with him.
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who → seake → him
Jesus de Miguel's family said the striker has left an 'impossible void to fill' as they attended his funeral
The father of tragic footballer Jesus de Miguel is consoled at the 30-year-old's funeral
The hearse of Jesus de Miguel arrives for the funeral in Tenerife
The family of Jesus de Miguel today released a statement about his death (Miguel is pictured with his sister, girlfriend, daughter and parents (Source: Instagram/martitamig)
‘Thank you to everyone who has remembered him, to his team-mates, friends, fans and all the clubs who have wanted to convey their condolences and accompany us in this painful moment.
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who → say → moment
‘Feeling such love for Jesus and witnessing the impact he has had on so many people is something we will always carry with us.’
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we → feel → us
After this afternoon’s church service De Miguel’s coffin will be transferred to Navahermosa municipal cemetery, where he will be buried.
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he → transfer → cemetery
The funeral was taking place just two days after the 30-year-old tragically passed away following a collision with rival Andorra FC goalkeeper Jesus Owono during a Spanish second tier match.
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old → take → match
The Tenerife striker was rushed to the Nuestra Señora de Candelaria University Hospital on Monday evening after receiving a flying knee to the chest from Owono, before succumbing to his injuries the following morning.
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striker → rush → injuries
His girlfriend and daughter were watching from the stands as the episode unfolded, with paramedics attempting to revive him on the pitch as he went into cardiac arrest before being rushed to hospital.
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he → watch → hospital
His body was flown to the Spanish mainland from Tenerife last night.
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body → fly → Tenerife
De Miguel grew up in Madrid but kept close ties with Navahermosa, a town of just 3,500 people sitting 80 miles south west of the Spanish capital, where his parents are from and his grandparents still reside.
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grandparents → grow → capital
Fondly nicknamed Demi by locals, he maintained a tight knit group of friends in the village where he would spend summers as a child.
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he → nickname → child
More recently he would train on the municipal football pitch ahead of preseasons.
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he → train → preseasons
It was in the town that his father was watching the game at a bar and began crying after seeing the collision.
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father → watch → collision
He and his wife soon rushed to Tenerife after being told their son was in intensive care.
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son → rush → care
Tenerife coach Alvaro Cervera arrives at the funeral in the striker's hometown of Navahermosa
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Cervera → arrive → Navahermosa
De Miguel's Tenerife team-mates arrived at the funeral of the striker on Thursday
Spain's World Cup-winning manager Luis de la Fuente attended the funeral in Tenerife
De Miguel died on Tuesday morning after a horrifying clash in a Spanish second division match
Flowers and messages were left outside the Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez Stadium in Tenerife
On Wednesday the town council declared three days of mourning, with flags flying at half mast at council buildings.
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flags → arrive → buildings
And fans will pay their respects on Saturday evening with a memorial service being held at the club’s Heliodoro Rodríguez López Stadium.
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service → pay → Stadium
Tributes from across the footballing world have poured in since the tragedy.
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Tributes → pour → tragedy
His close friend Fernando Roman, who had been in contact with De Miguel's girlfriend, revealed she had been alone at the hospital before his parents arrived and has been hit 'very hard'.
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parents → reveal → hospital
Roman told Spanish broadcaster Vamos a Ver on Tuesday: 'Yesterday, my girlfriend and I were talking all afternoon and all night with María, his girlfriend, who was alone in the hospital.
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who → tell → hospital
I've spoken with his girlfriend, and you can imagine how she is.
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she → speak → girlfriend
Now we have to be with the family.
'
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we → have → family
We have to send our love to his family, to María, to his daughter Carla, who is a year and a few months old.
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who → have → daughter
'It was unbelievable because we were talking about traveling to Disney with the girls, with my daughter too,
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we → talk → daughter
…and 30 more, not listed.
The Aporia
