Liverpool player Diogo Jota and his 25-year-old brother, André Silva, were killed in a car accident in Spain on Thursday. The brothers, both Portuguese soccer players, were driving their Lamborghini when it veered off the road and burst into flames.
Jota, 28, had been married to Rute Cardoso just weeks ago while on vacation from his season with Liverpool, which he helped win the Premier League title. He leaves behind three children, aged two, four and one year old.
Police are investigating the cause of the accident, which occurred past midnight local time. It is not clear who was driving, but they suspect a blown tire may have contributed to the crash while the brothers tried to overtake another vehicle.
Jota’s death has sent shockwaves through the sports world, with his teammates, manager and fans paying tribute to him as an exceptional player and person. He joined Liverpool from Wolves in 2020 and scored 65 goals in 182 games for the club.
Portugal’s Prime Minister Luís Montenegro described Jota as “an athlete who greatly honored Portugal’s name”, while his teammate Cristiano Ronaldo said he was “just now we were together in the national team, just now you had gotten married”. The Premier League and UEFA have also issued condolences, calling Jota a “champion” who will be “forever missed”.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/diogo-jota-liverpool-d7df70a74100e52ee28aa2810d6673d0