MADRID: Portuguese and English club Liverpool striker Diogo Jota and his brother died in a car crash in Spain. Jota was just 28 years old. His brother Andre was also a footballer. The Lamborghini they were travelling in crashed in the city of Zamora in northwestern Spain, and both players were charred to death.
Jota played for the Portuguese team that won the UEFA Nations League and for the Liverpool team that won the English Premier League last season.
Jota’s last match for Liverpool — against Crystal Palace in the final match of the Premier League season on May 25.
Last goal for Liverpool — against Everton on April 3.
Born in Porto in 1996, Jota began his career through Paco de Ferreira's youth academy. He moved to Atletico Madrid in 2016. The following year, he joined Wolverhampton in the Premier League. The terrific season of Jota in Wolves attracted the eyes of the then-Liverpool boss Jürgen Norbert Klopp, who beseeched the Liverpool board to bring the Portuguese talent to his squad.
In 2020, Jota made his big switch to Anfield and scored 65 goals in 182 appearances for the club. The player, who made his debut for Portugal in 2019, had scored 14 goals in 49 appearances. He has been involved in two UEFA Nations League titles.
Jota's death came 10 days after he married his long-time girlfriend Ruth Cardoso. They have three children. The couple met and fell in love 15 years ago while studying in high school in Porto. Ruth was like a shadow in Jota’s football journey. The wedding was officially held after the UEFA Nations League title. Ruth had shared a wedding video on her Instagram with the caption "An unforgettable moment" shortly before Jota died. The wedding took place in the presence of their children.
Spanish police say the Lamborghini in which Jota and his brother were travelling had a flat tire while overtaking another vehicle, causing it to skid off the road, hit a wall and burst into flames. Jota and Andre died at the scene.