Diogo Jota, Liverpool striker, dies in a road accident in Spain

Liverpool striker Diogo Jota died Thursday, July 3, at the age of 28, in a road accident in the night of July 2 to 3, at 0:30 a.m. in the province of Zamora, Spain, reports the Madrilene daily Markquoting the Spanish police. His brother André, 26 years old and also professional footballer at FC Penafiel, also died in the accident.

According to the Spanish daily, the accident occurred at kilometer 65 of the A52 motorway, near the town of Cernadilla, in the Sanabria region, close to the Portuguese border. The vehicle in which the footballer traveled and his brother left the road and caught fire. According to the first elements of the investigation, the accident may have been caused by a tire that broke out when the car was surpassing, said the civil guard.

The Liverpool club reacted on Thursday morning on social networks and said “Devastated by tragic death” of his player. “It’s inconceivable”wrote Cristiano Ronaldo. “Still recently we were together with Selaçao, you had just married. To your family, your wife and your children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength of the world. I know you will always be with them ”adds the fivefold Ballon d’Or on its X and Instagram accounts.

“A loss that has dismayed all the Portuguese”

The news of the death of the attacker was described as“Unexpected and tragic” by Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro. “It’s a sad day for football and for national and international sport”he wrote on X, welcoming “An athlete who has honored Portugal a lot”.

The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, also mentioned “A loss that has dismayed all the Portuguese” in a note published on the site of the presidency, where it “Deeply deplores the tragic and premature death of the football player Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva”.

The Portuguese Football Federation, which presented its condolences to families and expressed its “Huge pain”asked UEFA a minute of silence in their memory, Thursday, July 3, before the start of the Euro meeting which opposes its female selection to Spain, on the first day of group B, at 9 p.m., at the Wankdorf stadium in Bern (Switzerland).

Titled in the League of Nations in early June with Portugal (49 selections, 14 goals), Diogo Jota had also won the Premier League this season with the Reds. Taking part in 37 games with the Arne Slot team, he had scored nine goals and made four assists. The striker was married on June 22, and enjoyed a few days of vacation with his relatives after this long season.

In Liverpool since 2020, Diogo Jota had been trained in Paços de Ferreira and had previously defended the colors of FC Porto (2016-2017) and Wolverhampton (2017-2020). With the Reds, he also won two League cups (2022 and 2024), a Cup of England and had been a finalist in the Champions League (2022).