Soccer teams in Champions League pay tribute to De Miguel after his death

LONDON (AP) — Soccer teams playing in the Champions League on Tuesday paid tribute to Jesus de Miguel after the Tenerife forward's death following an on-field collision.

The three Spanish teams hosting games — Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Villarreal — chose not to play the customary Champions League anthem ahead of kickoff in honor of De Miguel, 30, who suffered cardiac arrest after being struck in the chest by FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono in a second-division match on Monday.

In those stadiums and others around Europe, like at Old Trafford where Manchester United was playing Roma, a moment of silence was held in memory of De Miguel, while a picture of the forward was displayed on the big screens inside the grounds.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and midfielder Mikel Merino — both Spaniards — opened their news conferences on the eve of Wednesday's match against Slavia Prague with a tribute to De Miguel.

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Atletico's players observe a moment of silence for late Tenerife's player Jesus De Miguel before the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Bayern's, left, and Atletico's players observe a moment of silence for late Tenerife's player Jesus De Miguel before the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Barcelona players observe a minute of silence in memory of Spanish CD Tenerife's player Jesus de Miguel, who lost his life, before the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Barcelona and Aston Villa in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Players of Shakhtar Donetsk, left, and Sporting CP, right, observe a minute of silence in memory of Jesus de Miguel Alameda, who lost his life, during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Shakhtar Donetsk and Sporting CP in London, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

A screen shows a portrait of late Tenerife's player Jesus De Miguel before the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

MADRID (AP) — Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente announced Tuesday that he is stepping down, six days after a high-speed train collision south of Madrid killed 69 people.

He made the announcement at the end of an hourslong appearance before lawmakers about the crash — the second such deadly collision this year involving Spain’s extensive high-speed rail network.

“A transport minister in a country like Spain cannot remain in office after two accidents of this seriousness in less than a year,” Puente said.

The Oct. 28 crash took place when a high-speed train slammed into another that had stopped on the tracks. The chain of events that led to disaster started when the communication system key to the functioning of the security system on the Madrid-Seville line went down. Central controllers in Madrid took over and gave the go-ahead for a state-operated Renfe high-speed train to proceed, even though ​there was a stationary train ahead operated by the company Iryo.

It was the second major crash on the Madrid-Seville line this year. In January, more than two hours further south along the route, a train derailed and struck another traveling in the opposite direction, killing 46 people. That crash remains under investigation.

Puente said he had taken the decision to resign immediately after the deadly crash, but had not made it public.

The collisions have raised fresh concerns about the safety of the country’s rail network, and the most recent crash came four weeks before a national election.

Spain’s high-speed rail network has been considered one of the country’s crowning achievements. It is the world’s second-largest, after China’s. Until this year, it had not experienced a deadly crash since coming into service over three decades ago.

Earlier Tuesday, Puente announced safety measures the government would implement on the rail network, including improving conditions in control centers and pushing for a faster rollout of the standardized European Rail Traffic Management System for safety and signaling.

Spain's Transport and Sustainable Mobility Minister Oscar Puente appears before a parliamentary committee at his own request at the Congress of Deputies in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. (Diego Radames/Europa Press via AP)

Spain's Transport and Sustainable Mobility Minister Oscar Puente appears before a parliamentary committee at his own request at the Congress of Deputies in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. (Diego Radames/Europa Press via AP) =