Manso Says Owono Alone Will Decide Andorra Return After Tenerife Tragedy

Carles Manso has said the decision on whether and when Jesús Owono returns to action rests entirely with the goalkeeper, as Andorra prepare to resume competitive football this Saturday at Almeria. Speaking at a pre-match press conference on Thursday, the head coach said the club will not pressure Owono, who has been absent from training since the death of Tenerife forward Jesús de Miguel.

"We have to give him that space so he feels completely free to make whatever decision he wants, whether that is to come back or not, when he considers it right," Manso said. He stressed that Owono remains deeply affected and is being supported by his family, his partner, friends and his representatives.

Manso said it is still too soon to draw conclusions, noting that the disciplinary resolution from the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) is still pending following Owono's sending-off against Tenerife. He also pushed back against speculation about a possible retirement, saying too much has been published that does not respect what the goalkeeper has said or how he feels. "We are not forcing him into anything," he added.

The coach repeated the club's condolences to De Miguel's family, particularly his parents, partner and daughter, as well as to Tenerife and the island. He recalled that the outcome of the collision did not reflect any intention on Owono's part, and argued that the priority is to support him as a person rather than only as a player.

Andorra returned to regular training this week after a period in which the coaching staff organised voluntary sessions, allowing players to process what happened at their own pace, with individual and group psychological support available. Manso acknowledged the atmosphere around the squad is not what it was in previous weeks, but said sharing day-to-day training is helping the group recover a degree of normality. "Nobody teaches you to live through these things or to manage them," he said.

On whether Saturday's fixture should also have been postponed, Manso said there is no clear answer and that both options would be understandable. He suggested that returning to competition could help players avoid being trapped in memories of the incident. "Maybe the best thing is to try to escape the situation, to try to play, to try to compete again," he said.

Saturday's match at Almeria, the current league leaders, kicks off at 18:30, following the postponement of last weekend's game against Mallorca. Manso said the squad is physically ready but that the mental side requires particular attention, and warned that defensive errors — especially in transitions and incidents leading to penalties — must be corrected. He described Almeria as a "great team" with a high-quality squad capable of adapting to different match scenarios, but said he hopes the spaces they leave will allow Andorra to create chances and return to positive results.