Madrid∙ Liverpool’s Portuguese star Diego Jota (28) has died in a car accident, shocking the football world. The accident reportedly took place in Zamora, northwestern Spain. Jota’s brother and football player Andre Silva (26) was also in the car that crashed. Spain’s official television channel reported the accident, citing the local fire department. Jota married his long-term partner Ruth Cardoso a few days ago. He had shared pictures of the wedding on social media. The couple have three children. The accident occurred on the Reyes Bajas highway (A-52) near Palacios de Sanabria, 70 miles west of the ancient city of Valladolid in Spain, early Thursday morning. The two were reportedly heading to Benavente. The accident occurred at 12.30 am, Sky Sports reported, citing the local government. The initial conclusion is that the accident was caused by a flat tire while trying to overtake another vehicle. The car caught fire after the accident and was completely destroyed. Both people in the car were confirmed dead. Jota, who started his professional career as a player for Pacos de Ferreira, later joined Spanish club Atletico Madrid. After failing to shine there, he joined Portuguese club Porto on loan. From there, he became part of English club Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2017. From there, Jota joined Liverpool in 2020. He played a crucial role in helping Liverpool win the FA Cup in 2022. Liverpool became runners-up in the EFL Cup and the Champions League that season.
Jota also performed well last season when Liverpool won the title under Arne Slott, who took over as coach after Jurgen Klopp left the team, with nine goals in 37 games. Jota was in the team that Portugal won the UEFA Nations League twice. He played 49 times for the national team. Jota’s brother Andre was also a player for Penafiel, a second division league club in Portugal.
