Jesus Owono: Tenerife boss Alvaro Cervera says 12-game ban ‘might seem light’ but accepts rules

FC Andorra’s Owono, 25, was sent after hitting Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel throughout the closing phases of the Spanish second-tier match in between their 2 particular sides on 2 November.

De Miguel passed away the following day aged 30, and a disciplinary committee from the Spanish football federation verified Owono’s suspension on Friday.

It was the optimal penalty that he might have gotten as the disciplinary committee might just think about the offense on the pitch and not “the tragic outcome of the incident”

“I think that, just as in other areas of life, there are rules or laws that must be followed,” stated Cervera, speaking before his club’s component versus Ceuta on Sunday – their very first match because De Miguel’s death.

“Since the current regulations don’t specifically account for what happened, I believe they have simply adhered to the rules and imposed the number of matches permitted by the regulations.

“Anything else I may state would simply be my own individual viewpoint, which I’ll keep to myself. It may appear a bit light when compared to other cases, however in truth, I do not believe the guidelines enable anything else.”

The disciplinary committee also said it had to base its decision “on the truths specifically tape-recorded in the referee’s report”, which stated the player “was sent for ‘strongly striking a challenger in the chest with his leg, utilizing extreme force, while the ball remained in play'”.

“When we’re together, we’re great, throughout our sessions, we’re succeeding,” he said.

“It seems like the group is slowly returning to typical. What we do not understand is how everybody is doing when we’re apart which’s a substantial element.

“Everyone has their own way of coping and their own thoughts; some have people at home to support them, while others are more on their own.

“We’re making development, a really sluggish procedure, however we are moving on – it’s difficult, it’s made complex.”

He also said that he was not sure whether his players were ready to return to playing, describing how some would appreciate a distraction and others will not be in the right frame of mind yet.

“Both positions are affordable,” Cervera added.

“On one hand, you wish to go back to some sense of normality though you understand that real normality isn’t something you’ll discover today.

“This isn’t something you can just set aside or push to the back of your mind to focus on your own work; it’s not like other life events you might encounter. It’s always there, constantly on your mind, yet we have to keep going.”