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Reports regarding the circumstances of the tragic death of Liverpool Football Club forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva have begun to come to the light in the hours following the horrible accident. Initial reports indicate the tire on Jota’s Lamborghini exploded while passing another motorist on a Spanish motorway.
Diogo Jota, 28 years old, was killed in a car crash on the A-52 in the province of Zamora alongside his younger brother Andre Silva, who was also a professional football in the second tier of the Portugese football pyramid.
Reports indicate that emergency responded responded to the crash around 12:35 p.m. Spanish time on Thursday, July 3, with the Portuguese Football Federation confirming the pair’s death around 8 a.m.
“The information we have so far is that the car, which was a Lamborghini, was in a road traffic accident and left the road due to a tyre blowout while overtaking. It was in the early hours, 00:30 BST, in the municipality of Cernadilla in the province of Zamora. The car caught on fire and the two occupants were killed,” reported Portugese outlet The Guardia Civil.
In addition to the ‘how’ of the accident, the ‘why’ has begun to be reported on as well, as reports indicate he was on his way to the northern Spanish port city of Santander to take a ferry back to England after being advised not to fly following minor lung surgery.
“The surgery he had was lung surgery and he had been advised against flying following this… He was on his way to the northern Spanish port city of Santander to cross by ferry and reach the UK that way and carry on with the car once he reached Britain. He was on his way to Liverpool with his brother,” CNN Portugal’s sports editor Rui Loura said on the air while reporting on the tragedy.
“Diogo sometimes chose to travel by road because he had some pulmonary discomfort, nothing serious, and as we know, there is a ferry boat that connects the south of England to Spain,” Portuguese journalist Victor Pinto told local channel CMTV.
Jota’s final goal for Liverpool Football Club has proven to be a mythic one as it delivered a 1-0 win over city rivals Everton in the Merseyside Derby en route to LFC winning its 20th league title (20 was also the jersey number that Jota wore for the club).
Around 1 p.m. EST (6 p.m. local time), Liverpool brass Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes released the following statement on Jota’s passing.
“There is nothing that we can say in this moment to ease the pain of such a devastating tragedy. We all feel utterly bereft right now. In such heartbreaking circumstances, it is our responsibility to acknowledge the collective grief we are experiencing, to pay tribute to our Diogo, and to offer unwavering support to his family who remain our absolute priority at this time.”
“Diogo’s wife, Rute, their three beautiful children, his parents and wider family are facing an unimaginable loss. This tragic accident has taken not only Diogo, but also his brother, Andre Silva. We mourn them both equally. We must respect the family’s privacy and give them the space to grieve in whichever way they need,” the statement continued.
“Of course, we – his Liverpool family – are also struggling to come to terms with what has happened. As his teammates, friends and colleagues, we are consumed by shock and sorrow. We know our supporters, his national team, former clubs and teammates and the wider football community share in this grief. This is a tragedy that transcends Liverpool Football Club.”
“In the coming days, we as a club will look to honour our beloved number 20 with the respect and affection he so richly deserves. We will strive to make these tributes meaningful and inclusive of our supporters, to whom Diogo meant so much. For now, we express a love that is filled with deep sorrow and pain. We have lost someone truly irreplaceable. Rest in peace, Diogo. YNWA.”
After beginning her career with Paços de Ferreira, Jota moved to Atletico Madrid in 2016 but spent his two seasons there on loan at Porto and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Jota officially joined Wolves in 2018 before being signed by Liverpool in 2020, where he scored 47 goals in 123 games across 123 games.
Jota is survived by his wife Rute, his three children, and his parents. Our thoughts go out to Jota’s friends, family, and fans during this difficult time.