Liverpool forward Diogo Jota died in a car accident in Spain. He was 28 years old. Jota was traveling with his 26-year-old brother Andre, also a football player. It is reported that both of them died in the horrific occurrence, which sent shockwaves across the football world. His brother played for Pennafiel, a Portuguese second-tier team.
According to initial accounts, the automobile went off-road on the A-52 in Zamora province, northwestern Spain. It occurred at approximately 12:40 a.m. local time on the Rias Bajas Highway (A-52) near Palacios de Sanabria.
The event occurred barely two weeks after Jota married his long-term lover, Rute Cardoso, in Porto. Jota signed for Liverpool from Wolverhampton Wanderers in September 2020 for a sum of more than £40 million.
“We’ve lost two champs. Their deaths are terrible losses for Portuguese football, and we will do everything we can to honor their memory every day,” the Portuguese Football Federation stated in a statement.
Spanish police told Reuters that while the identity of the deceased could not yet be formally confirmed, all indications led to Jota and his brother. The car went off the road and caught fire shortly afterwards, killing both brothers on the scene. The fire spread to surrounding vegetation, prompting an emergency response from Zamora’s Provincial Council. According to the spokeswoman, the Lamborghini they were traveling in went off the road.
The bodies have been sent to a forensics facility in nearby Zamora, where autopsies will be done, according to officials.
Jota began his football career with Paos de Ferreira in Portugal before joining Atlético Madrid in 2016. He went on to play in the Premier League for Wolverhampton Wanderers before being transferred to Liverpool, where he became a fixture in the squad. Jota, who married on June 28, led Liverpool to the Premier League title last season, as well as the FA Cup and League Cup.
Jota represented Portugal at a number of important competitions. Earlier this year, he was a member of the UEFA Nations League-winning squad, participating in extra time against Spain. He also represented his country in Euro 2024.
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