A tragic car accident in northern Spain claimed the lives of striker Diogo Jota, 28, a regular player for the Portuguese national team and a Liverpool player, and his brother André Silva, 25, an athlete for Penafiel (Portuguese second division) in the early hours of Thursday (3). The accident occurred on the Spanish federal highway (A-52), near the city of Zamorra. According to preliminary information from the police (Spanish Civil Guard), the car, a Lamborghini, driven by Jota, lost control due to a tire burst while overtaking, leading to a collision and subsequent fire.
According to information released by the Portuguese press and reported by international media, the player had been advised by doctors not to travel by plane after recent lung surgery, which led him to opt for the land route, reports Metrópoles. The athlete underwent lung surgery and, on medical advice, decided to avoid air travel, since the changes in pressure in the airplane cabin could compromise his recovery process. For this reason, he chose to travel by car and ferry boat to the United Kingdom.
According to coverage in the Portuguese newspaper Record, Jota was driving to the city of Santander, on the north coast of Spain. The plan was to board a boat bound for Portsmouth, in southern England, where he would rejoin Liverpool for pre-season training.
According to a statement from the Spanish Civil Guard, the car in which the brothers were traveling suffered a tire blowout while overtaking, which caused the vehicle to lose control and leave the road. The collision resulted in a fire, causing the immediate death of both occupants.
“The Spanish Civil Guard is investigating a road accident that occurred at 00:30 this morning, at kilometer 65 of the A-52 highway, in the municipality of Sanabria, Zamora. A vehicle left the road on the left. The investigation suggests that the accident occurred due to a tire burst during overtaking. As a result of the accident, the car caught fire and both occupants died. While awaiting the conclusion of the expert examinations, it was possible to identify that one of the fatal victims was Diogo Jota, a Liverpool FC player, and his brother André Felipe,” the agency reported.
The accident site is located near the border with northern Portugal, indicating that the overland trip was taking place on a stretch relatively close to Portuguese territory before continuing to the north coast of Spain.
At the end of June, Diogo Jota had officially married his partner of 10 years, with whom he had three children, the youngest of whom is still a baby. Together with Liverpool, the striker was the champion of the Premier League (English Championship) last season. Previously, playing for the Merseyside team, Jota had already won the FA Cup and the League Cup. He was known not only for his skills on the field but also for his dedication to his family and his team.
The unexpected death of the brothers triggered a flood of saddened messages from clubs, players, and football federations around the world. The first of these was from the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF). Playing for Portugal, Rodrigo Jota scored 49 goals and was twice a champion of the UEFA Nations League, the last of which ended at the beginning of last month, when Portugal beat Spain on penalties. The football community, both in Portugal and internationally, was deeply affected by the loss of these two talented players.
The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) expressed the personal loss felt by the football community. ‘We have lost two champions. Their deaths represent an irreparable loss for Portuguese football, and we will do everything we can to honor their legacy every day,’ the entity posted on its Instagram account.
Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo also took to social media to express his grief.
The impact of Jota’s death on his family is profound. ‘It doesn’t make sense. We were just together in the national team, and you had just gotten married. To your family, your wife, and your children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world. I know you will always be with them. Rest in peace, Diogo and André. We will all miss you’, lamented CR7.
Liverpool, the club Jota played for for almost five years, also expressed their condolences in a post on the social network X. Jota scored 65 goals in 182 matches for the club. Reds
“Liverpool Football Club is devastated by the tragic death of Diogo Jota”, said the Reds.
The club from Porto, the city where Jota was born, mourned the tragic death of the athlete, who played for the team in 2016. Jota began his professional career in 2014 with the Paços de Ferreira team. In 2017, the Portuguese striker left his homeland for the United Kingdom when he was transferred to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Brazilian clubs also used social media to pay tribute to the Portuguese striker, including Corinthians, Santos, Palmeiras, Fluminense, Botafogo, and Atlético Mineiro.
Source: Agência Brasil and www.brasil247.com