Liverpool’s Portuguese forward Diogo Jota and his brother died in a car crash in northwestern Spain early on Thursday, when their Lamborghini veered off the road and burst into flames, authorities said.
Spanish police said in a statement, Evidence at the scene of the crash near the city of Zamora suggests Jota’s car suffered a burst tire while overtaking.
In late June Jota, 28, got married to his partner of ten years, with whom he had three children.
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“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,” the Portuguese Football Federation said of Jota and his brother Andre Silva, a footballer who played for Penafiel in the Portuguese second division.
Police said their bodies have been taken to a forensics unit in Zamora, where autopsies will be performed.
In an X post, Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said, “The news of the death of Diogo Jota, an athlete who greatly honoured the name of Portugal, and his brother, is unexpected and tragic.” “I offer my most sincere condolences to his family.”
Jota helped Liverpool win the Premier League last season and also won the FA Cup and League Cup with the Merseyside outfit.
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Liverpool, in an X post, said, “Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota.”
He also made 49 appearances for Portugal, twice winning the UEFA Nations League.
“It is a remarkable achievement for a small guy that came from Gondomar, where I had this dream,” Jota said on Liverpool’s website of winning the Premier League. “It’s a moment I will cherish forever.”
