sally quick

🚨Sir Alex Ferguson on the controversial challenge involving Jesús Owono and the tragic death of Jesús de Miguel during FC Andorra vs Tenerife: 🗣️Reporter: Sir Alex, you have managed football at the highest level for decades. What was your reaction when you watched the incident? 🎙️Sir Alex Ferguson: “I watched it several times, and I must tell you, I was deeply disturbed by what I saw. My immediate reaction was simple: what on earth was the goalkeeper thinking? Listen, I understand goalkeepers have a responsibility to protect their goal. They have to come out, challenge for the ball and sometimes put themselves in difficult situations. That is football. But there is a difference between making a legitimate challenge and going into a situation with excessive force. What I saw was extremely concerning. The speed, the force and the nature of that collision were difficult to watch. At that moment, you are not just challenging another footballer; you are putting another human being in danger. I’ve been involved in football for more than 40 years. I’ve seen some terrible injuries, some frightening collisions and incidents that have stayed with me throughout my career. But there are certain situations where you have to stop and ask yourself whether the game has gone too far. And what makes this even more heartbreaking is the person we are talking about. Jesús de Miguel was only 30 years old. He had a family, a wife and children. He had people waiting for him, people who expected him to return home after playing football. Instead, a family has lost someone they can never replace. That is bigger than football. Much bigger than three points, a result or a goalkeeper trying to win possession. I remember incidents involving Higuaín and Neuer, but we must be careful about comparing collisions. Every situation is different, and every challenge must be judged on its own circumstances. I am not going to pretend I know everything that happened in that moment. That is why there must be a thorough investigation. The authorities must establish exactly what happened, whether the challenge was reckless and whether there are grounds for any legal responsibility. If the investigation establishes that Owono acted with criminal negligence, then he must face the appropriate consequences under the law. Nobody should be above accountability because they are a professional footballer. And as far as his football career is concerned, I believe the seriousness of this incident must be considered before any decision is made about his future in the game. I’ve sent players off the training ground for dangerous behaviour. I’ve disciplined players who thought winning was more important than respecting an opponent. Because one thing I always believed was that football must never become a place where players forget the humanity of the person standing opposite them. You can replace a goalkeeper. You can replace a footballer. You can replace a result. You cannot replace someone’s father, husband or son. My heart goes out to Jesús de Miguel’s family. I cannot imagine what his wife and children are going through right now. There is no preparation for receiving news like this. And I hope the football authorities understand that this cannot simply become another incident that everybody discusses for a few days before moving on. There must be accountability, there must be answers, and there must be lessons learned. Because when a player steps onto a football pitch, he deserves to know that the opponent challenging him understands the responsibility that comes with playing this beautiful game. Football should be competitive, it should be aggressive, but it should never cost someone their life. My deepest condolences to the family of Jesús de Miguel. No football match is worth what this family has lost.”