Mina Bonino, the wife of Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde, has spoken out in support of goalkeeper Jesús Owono following the tragic death of Jesús de Miguel.

Her comments came after Real Madrid’s 3-2 Champions League victory over AEK Athens, sealed by Valverde’s stoppage-time winner. Bonino called for an end to the relentless criticism directed at Owono following his collision with the Tenerife forward, which preceded the player’s fatal cardiac event.

In a lengthy message shared on her Instagram story, Bonino described the incident as a tragedy and expressed sympathy for de Miguel’s family, including his daughter, parents and wife. She acknowledged the seriousness of Owono’s challenge but insisted that the goalkeeper never intended to cause such an outcome. “He is not a murderer,” she wrote, adding that Owono would have to live with the consequences of the incident for the rest of his life. She also urged people to stop judging him as though he had deliberately taken another player’s life.

Bonino also criticised the growing hostility on social media, arguing that online platforms have become spaces where people pass permanent judgment without considering the human consequences. She warned that relentless public condemnation can have devastating effects and called on society to show greater compassion. “This must come to an end—right now,” she concluded, while once again expressing her thoughts for the family grieving the loss of Jesús de Miguel.