Portuguese international Diogo Jota and his brother Andre have died in a car crash in Spain. Authorities confirmed the vehicle veered off the road and caught fire in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Key Takeaways
- Liverpool FC forward Diogo Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva, 26, were killed in a car accident near Zamora, Spain, around 12:30am on Thursday, local authorities say.
- Spanish police said the Lamborghini they were travelling in suffered a tyre blowout during an overtaking manoeuvre, causing it to leave the road and catch fire.
- Both men were pronounced dead at the scene.
- No other vehicles were involved, and authorities have opened an investigation into the cause of the crash.
- Jota had recently returned from a family holiday and married his long-time partner, Rute Cardoso, on June 22 in Porto.
- Teammates as well as Liverpool FC, posted tributes on social media following confirmation of the incident.
Tributes
Jota had just married his partner of a decade last month. The couple share two sons and a daughter.
Devastated teammates and clubs, including Liverpool FC, took to social media following the news, leaving tributes for Jota and Silva.
“Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota,” the club statement read. “The club have been informed the 28-year-old has passed away following a road traffic accident in Spain along with his brother, Andre.”
“Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request the privacy of Diogo and Andre’s family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss.
“We will continue to provide them with our full support.”
The Portuguese Football Federation said “we have lost two champions. Their deaths represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football, and we will do everything we can to honour their legacy every day.”
Portugal’s Prime Minister Luís Montenegro also paid tribute, saying Jota had honoured the country’s name.
Background
Jota began his senior career at Paços de Ferreira, scoring 14 goals in 41 appearances before signing with Atlético Madrid in 2016. He never played a match for the Spanish club, instead going on loan to FC Porto and then Wolverhampton Wanderers.
After a successful loan, he joined Wolves permanently and scored 44 goals across 131 games.
In 2020, Jota signed for Liverpool, where he made 182 appearances in all competitions. For Portugal, Jota earned 49 caps and scored 14 goals, winning the UEFA Nations League twice.
This is a developing story. More to come.