Liverpool striker FC Diogo Jota and his brother died in a car accident in Spain, police announced on Thursday.
The Spanish civil guard said that Jota, 28, and André Silva, 25, had been found dead following an accident around 12:30 p.m. local time in Cernadilla, in the Western province of Zamora.
“A vehicle left the road and everything indicates a burst of tires during the overtaking. Following the accident, the car caught fire and the two people were killed,” a police statement added.
Autopsies will soon be carried out on Portuguese players, said the Spanish EFE news agency.
Jota had married her long -term partner Rute Cardoso less than two weeks ago and, in an article on X, had written: “Yes, has forever.” The couple have three young children together.
The Liverpool FC published a statement on Thursday that it is “devastated” by the death of JOTA. The club was a month earlier celebrated another Premier League title for a 20th record championship.
JOTA also played for the national team in Portugal and helped him win the UEFA Nations League last month, while Silva played with the Portuguese club Penafiel. The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) said that it was with “immense pain” that they learned their death.
The president of the FPF, Pedro Proença, said in a statement that the Federation had asked for a minute of silence before a match on Thursday between Portugal and Spain in the European Women’s Championship.
JOTA played 182 appearances for the Liverpool FC, scoring 65 goals and winning four major trophies, including the most recent title of the English Premier. He previously played for the Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Spanish Atletico Madrid and the Portuguese teams Paços de Ferreira and FC Porto, the city where he was born.
“FC Porto is in mourning,” said the club in an article on X. “It is with a shock and deep sadness that we send our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, who was also our athlete in the ranks of young people.”
