Former Seiko FC goalkeeper urges FIFA to review player safety after Spanish footballer's death
Lim Fung Kee, former goalkeeper for Malaysia and Hong Kong's Seiko FC, calls on FIFA to review player safety protocols after Spanish footballer Jesus de Miguel died following a collision during a match.
Former Malaysian goalkeeper Lim Fung Kee has urged FIFA to reexamine player safety protocols in the wake of the recent death of Spanish footballer Jesus de Miguel during a match.
According to Malaysian online news publication Weekly-Echo, the 74-year-old, who played as a goalkeeper for Malaysia in the 1970s and for Hong Kong's Seiko FC, described the incident as "a tragic loss of life." Miguel, 25, a striker for CD Tenerife in Spain's Second Division, died on 3 November after a collision with FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono during a match a day before.
"Having been a goalkeeper myself, I look at the mechanics of the incident. It was a split-second miscalculation that resulted in a catastrophe," Lim noted. "Owono's intention will inevitably come under scrutiny. Did he raise his knees to protect himself, gain height or inflict injury?" Lim explained that such high-speed interventions by goalkeepers can make collisions almost inevitable. He raised the question of whether Owono's actions were reckless or simply an instinctive reaction.
He also expressed concern for Owono, who survived the incident but may now face overwhelming guilt and psychological trauma. "He needs psychological help too," Lim said. He noted that goalkeepers are now often required to leave their penalty areas, increasing the likelihood of dangerous collisions with opposing players.
"One player has died, don't kill another," Lim said, calling on FIFA to review player safety measures to ensure that such a tragedy does not happen again. He also urged FIFA to consider not only physical safety, but also the psychological impact of on-field tragedies, and to provide support for all affected parties.
He recounted his own injuries on the pitch, including a broken nose in 1971 and a fractured wrist in 1975, to highlight the dangers faced by players. Lim noted that Owono and others involved could suffer from guilt, shock, anxiety, depression, and other psychological effects, possibly including nightmares or fear of returning to play. He added that witnesses may also experience emotional trauma from witnessing such an event.