Jesús de Miguel: Sánchez-Pizjuán Becomes a Memorial Site

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Jesús de Miguel: Sánchez-Pizjuán Becomes a Memorial Site.

At a Glance

• The LaLiga home match between Sevilla and Deportivo Alavés was entirely dedicated to the late Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán.
• Both teams, the referee and the spectators honored De Miguel before kickoff with a minute of silence followed by applause.
• In the 9th minute, the match was interrupted again for a tribute to the footballer. Images of De Miguel appeared on the video screens.
• After the match, broader commemorations were planned at matches throughout Spanish football.

On Friday, November 6, 2026, football initially played almost no role at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán. The meeting between Sevilla and Alavés was the first LaLiga match at which Jesús de Miguel was explicitly honored. The Tenerife striker had died on the previous Tuesday.

White Shirts and Flowers on the Pitch

After the traditional anthem of the 70-year-old Sevilla, both teams and the referee’s team emerged from the tunnel together. They wore white shirts bearing the name of Jesús de Miguel and his number 9.

Referee Luis Bestard placed a blue-and-white bouquet on the pitch. The players then formed a semicircle around the spot where the tragedy had occurred. They embraced one another before play resumed.

The gesture was simple and unequivocal. It recalled that the match was not being contested only between Sevilla and Alavés. At the outset, remembrance of De Miguel was the focus, and the tribute encompassed not only the two teams but also the referees and the spectators in the stadium.

Silence and Then Applause

Before kickoff, players and spectators observed a minute of silence in honor of Jesús de Miguel. As the silence ended, the Sánchez-Pizjuán erupted in a collective ovation. Images of the late footballer were shown on the video screens.

The tribute was not included in the matchday as an entertainment element. It began with the players’ joint appearance, continued through the minute of silence and carried on into the subsequent celebration.

Sevilla coach Luis García Plaza had also announced the memorial ceremony in his pre-match preview.

“We are all deeply saddened; it has been a shock for football. We have to compete and dedicate the game to him. It will be a very beautiful tribute, in a stadium as beautiful as the one at Sevilla Fútbol Club.”

The Interruption in the 9th Minute

A second tribute followed the start of play. When the first half reached the 9th minute, the ball was calmly stopped as soon as the situation allowed. The video screens again showed images of Jesús de Miguel. Players, coaches and spectators once more broke out in applause.

The interruption lasted more than a minute. During it, the action in the game moved into the background, and the attention of the entire stadium turned to remembrance of the late striker. The television broadcast then displayed a number 9 with a black mourning ribbon alongside the score.

Some spectators could not hide their tears. Despite their grief, they returned to the collective applause after the minute of silence. When play resumed, the number 9 remained on the screens as a visible symbol of remembrance.

The Start of Commemorations Throughout Spanish Football

The evening at the Sánchez-Pizjuán was the first visible part of a broader commemoration. According to Marca and Mundo Deportivo Fútbol, De Miguel is to be honored through commemorative gestures and mentions at Spanish football matches over the following days.

For the memorial, the sporting result was secondary. Sevilla and Alavés appeared together, the players laid down a bouquet, the shirt numbers recalled De Miguel, and the stadium came together in applause twice. A matchday thus became a memorial site for Jesús de Miguel.