Barcelona forward Raphinha has said that the news of Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel's tragic passing made him feel bad.
Miguel died after a collision with Real Oviedo goalkeeper Jesus Owono. A clip of the incident sent the football world into mourning, with UEFA announcing a moment of silence at this week's Champions League games. The Royal Spanish Football Federation also postponed all domestic fixtures for three days.
Speaking about the incident, Raphinha said that after hearing the news, he found it difficult to focus on football during Tuesday's Champions League victory over Aston Villa.
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"Wherever [De Miguel] is, I hope he finds his way," Raphinha said. "I want to send his family strength ... and today, not talk about football.
"After I saw the news, I didn't feel good. In the end, he was a fellow football player. This could have happened to any of us. It could have happened to me."
Losing a peer hit Raphinha particularly hard, especially because he was the same age as the late forward.
"It's very difficult to go out and play a game in these circumstances," Raphinha noted. "He was a player who was the same age as me. Maybe that's why it affected me so much."
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