MADRID, July 3 (Reuters) – Liverpool’s Portuguese ahead Diogo Jota and his brother died in a automobile crash in northwestern Spain early on Thursday, when their Lamborghini veered off the street and burst into flames, authorities stated.
Proof on the scene of the crash close to town of Zamora suggests Jota’s automobile suffered a burst tyre whereas overtaking, Spanish police stated in an announcement. The crash occurred round 00:30 a.m.
Jota, 28, had simply married his associate of ten years in late June, with whom he had three kids.
“It doesn’t make sense. We have been solely simply within the nationwide staff collectively, you’d solely simply obtained married,” fellow Portugal worldwide Cristiano Ronaldo stated on X.
Liverpool Soccer Membership stated it was devastated by the information of Jota’s demise.
Followers started laying flowers in his reminiscence on the staff’s Anfield stadium. Jota arrived at Anfield in 2020 and scored 65 targets in 182 appearances for the membership in all competitions.
Maja Hitij – UEFA by way of Getty Pictures
Jota’s brother, who died alongside him, was additionally a footballer, with Penafiel within the Portuguese second division.
“Now we have misplaced two champions. Their deaths signify irreparable losses for Portuguese soccer, and we are going to do all the pieces we are able to to honour their legacy daily,” the Portuguese Football Federation said.
A minute’s silence will likely be noticed in any respect of Thursday’s and Friday’s matches on the Girls’s Euros going down in Switzerland, UEFA stated in an announcement.
“The information of the demise of Diogo Jota, an athlete who enormously honoured the identify of Portugal, and his brother, is sudden and tragic,” Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro stated on X. “I provide my most honest condolences to his household.”
Peter Byrne – PA Pictures by way of Getty Pictures
Jota helped Liverpool win the Premier League final season, scoring the derby winner towards Everton and likewise gained the FA Cup in 2022 and League Cup in 2022 and 2024 with the Merseyside outfit.
Born in Porto, he started his profession with native staff Pacos de Ferreira earlier than switching to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2017.
“We’re heartbroken. Diogo was adored by our followers, beloved by his teammates and cherished by everybody who labored with him throughout his time at Wolves,” the membership stated.
Pacos de Ferreira stated in an announcement that each brothers had left their mark on the small membership positioned east of Porto.
“Diogo Jota grew to become a reference for this membership,” it stated on social media. “An athlete with a champion’s perspective who reached the very best ranges {of professional} soccer. His identify is a part of our historical past.”
He additionally made 49 appearances for Portugal, twice profitable the UEFA Nations League.
“It’s a outstanding achievement for a small man that got here from Gondomar, the place I had this dream,” Jota stated on Liverpool’s web site of profitable the Premier League. “It’s a second I’ll cherish eternally.”
(Reporting by Emma Pinedo, Martyn Herman and Catarina Demony; writing by Charlie Devereux, enhancing by Alexandra Hudson)
