By Mark Whiley
Liverpool striker Diogo Jota has tragically died in a car crash at the age of 28.
First reported by Marca, the Portuguese striker passed away early this morning in a traffic accident in the Spanish province of Zamora. His brother, Andre Silva, 26, who played for Portuguese second tier club Penafiel, also died in the crash.
Emergency services in the Castilla and Leon region said in a statement: “The 1-1-2 Castilla y Le贸n operations room received several calls reporting a vehicle accident at Km. 65 of the A-52, in the municipality of Cernadilla, Zamora. A car was reported to have been involved in an accident and the vehicle was on fire.
“1-1-2 notified the Zamora Traffic Police, the Zamora Provincial Council Fire Brigade, and the Sacyl Emergency Coordination Center (CCU) of this accident.
“From there, a Medical Emergency Unit (UME) and the Primary Care Medical Staff (MAP) from the Mombuey Health Center were sent, who confirmed the death of two people on the scene.”
The devastating news comes just days after Jota got married to his long-term girlfriend Rute Cardoso, the mother of his three children.
The Portuguese football federation released the following statement: “The Portuguese Football Federation and all of Portuguese football are utterly devastated by the deaths of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva this morning in Spain.
“Far beyond being an exceptional player, with nearly 50 caps for the national team, Diogo Jota was an extraordinary person, respected by all teammates and opponents, someone with a contagious joy and a reference within his own community.
“On my behalf, and on behalf of the Portuguese Football Federation, I express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Diogo and Andre Silva, as well as to Liverpool FC and FC Penafiel, the clubs where the players, respectively, performed.
“The Portuguese Football Federation has already requested UEFA to observe a minute of silence this Thursday before our National Team’s match against Spain in the Women’s European Championship.
“We have lost two champions. The passing of Diogo and Andre Silva represents irreparable losses for Portuguese Football, and we will do everything to honour their legacy daily.”
After beginning his career in his homeland, he joined Atletico Madrid before a brief loan spell back in Portugal with Porto. He then moved to England with Wolves, initially on loan, before joining the West Midlands club permanently in 2018.
In 2020, he signed for Liverpool, scoring just eight minutes into his debut. He has since won the FA Cup, Carabao Cup and, most recently, the Premier League with the Anfield giants.