Liverpool Football Club said they are “devastated” by the death of 28-year-old forward Diogo Jota. In a statement, the club said: “Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota.
“The club have been informed the 28-year-old has passed away following a road traffic accident in Spain along with his brother, Andre. Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request the privacy of Diogo and Andre’s family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss. We will continue to provide them with our full support.”
Jota and his brother were killed after their car ran off the road and caught fire, authorities said. The Zamora Provincial Council in posted on Facebook that the fatal accident took place on the A-52 in Palacios de Sanabria, in the Spanish province of Zamora, which borders Portugal, at 00.40am.
In a statement, translated from the original Spanish, the authority: “A vehicle ran off the road and caught fire, which spread to the surrounding vegetation. The fire was put out by the fire brigade, which worked with health services and the Guardia Civil.
“Unfortunately, medics were only able to confirm the death of two young men, aged 28 and 26. From the Zamora Provincial Council and the Provincial Consortium we express our condolences to the families of the victims and thank all those involved for their work.”
Jota was part of Liverpool’s Premier League-winning side in the 2024/25 campaign, scoring six goals in 26 appearances. The tragic news comes just two weeks after Jota married his long-term girlfriend Rute Cardoso in Porto.
Jota signed for Liverpool in September 2020 from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a fee of more than £40million. Tributes are being shared to Jota and his younger brother André Silva. The Portuguese Football Federation said it was “devastated” to learn of the deaths of Jota and his brother Andre Silva – adding: “Their deaths represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football.”
Minute’s silence plans
In a statement, the Portuguese national team said: “The Portuguese Football Federation and the entire Portuguese football community are devastated by the deaths of Diogo Jota and André Silva in Spain this morning.
“Diogo Jota was not only a fantastic player with almost 50 caps for the national team, but also an extraordinary person who was respected by all his teammates and opponents. He had a contagious joy and was a reference point in his own community.
“On behalf of the Portuguese Football Federation and myself, I would like to offer our deepest condolences to the families and friends of Diogo and André, as well as Liverpool FC and FC Penafiel, the respective clubs of the players.
“The Portuguese Football Federation has asked UEFA to hold a minute’s silence ahead of our national team’s match against Spain in the Women’s European Championship on Thursday.
“We have lost two champions. Their deaths represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football, and we will do everything we can to honour their legacy every day.”
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