NU
Sat, 05 July 2025
The world of football has been jolted by news of Diogo Jota's death, the Liverpool forward, alongside his brother André Silva, in a car crash in Spain. But as tributes pour in globally, details emerging from his final hours reveal a poignant, unexpected twist to his journey home.
The discovery that Jota, 28, was travelling by car, rather than flying, has added a layer of intrigue to the tragic incident. His physiotherapist, Miguel Gonçalves, later revealed Jota had recently undergone lung surgery for a fractured rib and was advised to avoid air travel for up to six weeks, intending to take a ferry to the UK from Spain. Gonçalves confirmed Jota was recovering well from the pneumothorax surgery.
The fatal crash occurred after midnight on Thursday, when the Lamborghini the brothers were travelling in veered off the road near Puebla de Sanabria and burst into flames. Police suspect a tyre burst as the cause.
In Portugal, a nation in mourning, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro joined family members, including Jota’s wife Rute Cardoso, whom he had married just weeks prior, at a private wake. Long-time agent Jorge Mendes was also present.
The convoy of hearses carrying the brothers' bodies arrived in Gondomar, Jota's hometown, on Thursday evening. A public wake is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. (1500 GMT) on Friday at a local chapel, with the funeral set for 10:00 a.m. local time on Saturday.
The shock of Jota's passing has resonated deeply across football. Fans have left heartfelt tributes outside Liverpool's Anfield stadium, including flowers, scarves, and notes from children. Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah expressed profound grief on Instagram: "Team-mates come and go but not like this. It’s going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won’t be there when we go back."
Moments of silence were observed by top clubs, including Paris St Germain, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Real Madrid, during training for their Club World Cup matches in the United States. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca noted that Portuguese international Pedro Neto was weighing whether to play his upcoming match, deeply affected by the loss of his close friend.
Arne Slot, Jota’s manager at Liverpool, issued a poignant statement: "For us as a club, the sense of shock is absolute. Diogo was not just our player. He was a loved one to all of us. He was a team-mate, a colleague, a workmate and in all of those roles he was very special," adding, "My message to them is very clear – you will never walk alone."
In Gondomar, a town renowned for its artisanal jewellery, residents are struggling to comprehend the sudden loss of a local hero. At the Diogo Jota Academy, which he opened in 2022 for children aged 6-9, tributes of candles, flowers, and club shirts have been laid. It was at a local high school where Jota met his wife, Rute, beginning their relationship at 15 and building a life where she became a "pillar," moving with him to Madrid when he transferred to Atlético Madrid at 19.
The football world grapples with a loss far more complex than initial reports suggested.
