Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother, FC Penafiel’s Andre Silva, died in a car crash in Spain Thursday morning. Authorities have released more details about the incident.
Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, a professional player for Portuguese side FC Penafiel, died in a car accident in Spain on Thursday morning. The crash was first reported by Portuguese media and later confirmed by Spanish authorities, who have since shared further details about how the incident unfolded.
According to local authorities in Zamora, he incident occurred around 12:30 a.m. on Thursday on the A-52 motorway, a major route that connects Madrid to Galicia, in northwestern Spain, near the Portuguese border.
Police said the brothers were travelling in a Lamborghini when the vehicle left the road and struck a barrier. The impact caused the car to catch fire. Emergency services responded to the scene, where both men were pronounced dead.
Fire crews were also called to extinguish a wildfire that had spread to nearby vegetation as a result of the blaze. The cause of the crash has not been officially determined. However, Spanish police told the BBC that initial reports suggest the driver may have lost control after one of the vehicle’s rear tyres suffered a puncture.
Jota, 28, had recently married Rute Cardoso in Porto, his hometown in northern Portugal, located roughly 300 kilometres west of the crash site. The couple had three children. Silva was 25.
Liverpool FC Statement
In a brief statement, Liverpool FC confirmed the death of their player and his brother:
“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.”
Portuguese Federation Tribute
Pedro Proenca, president of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), expressed his condolences in a message shared on social media:
“The Portuguese football federation and the entire Portuguese soccer community are completely devastated by the death of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, this morning in Spain. Much more than a fantastic player, who played almost 50 matches for the national A team, Diogo Jota was an extraordinary person, respected by all his teammates and opponents, someone with an infectious joy and a reference in the community itself.
“On my behalf, and on behalf of the Portuguese Football Federation, I express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Diogo and Andre Silva, as well as to Liverpool FC and FC Penafiel, the clubs where the players played respectively.”
Jota made nearly 50 appearances for Portugal’s senior national team and was widely regarded as one of the country’s top attacking talents. His death has triggered an outpouring of tributes from across the soccer world, including Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James and more.
From: bolavip.com