Liverpool star Diogo Jota has died at the age of 28 after his Lamborghini careered off a road in northern Spain – just two weeks after he married his childhood sweetheart.
The Portuguese forward was travelling in the supercar with his fellow footballer brother Andre, 26, who also died in the crash.
The Lamborghini’s tyre is believed to have blown out while overtaking on the A-52 around 70 miles west of the historic city of Valladolid. The car came off the road, crashed and then burst into flames in the early hours of this morning.
Jota had just married Rute Cardoso, the mother of his three children, and described himself as the luckiest man in the world to be her husband.
The incident occurred on the A-52 in the province of Zamora. The road in Spain is a key route taken by drivers leaving northern Portugal.
Emergency services in the Castilla and Leon region confirmed the crash and two fatalities at around 12.35am on Thursday morning.
‘The 1-1-2 Castilla y León operations room received several calls reporting a vehicle accident at Km. 65 of the A-52, in the municipality of Cernadilla, Zamora. A car was reported to have been involved in an accident and the vehicle was on fire,’ a statement read.
‘1-1-2 notified the Zamora Traffic Police, the Zamora Provincial Council Fire Brigade, and the Sacyl Emergency Coordination Center (CCU) of this accident.
Diego Jota had married his childhood sweetheart Rute Cardoso, the mother of his three children, in the last fortnight. Here they are pictured on their wedding day
Jota described himself as the luckiest man in the world in an interview released yesterday after the couple walked down the aisle in Portugal
The couple have three children, pictured on the Anfield pitch in May after winning the Premier League
Diogo’s brother Andre, 26, was also a footballer and died in the crash
‘From there, a Medical Emergency Unit (UME) and the Primary Care Medical Staff (MAP) from the Mombuey Health Center were sent, who confirmed the death of two people on the scene’.
The tragic news comes just two weeks after Jota married his long-term girlfriend Rute Cardoso in Porto, his home city.
The Portuguese national football team have said they are ‘devastated’ by the death of Liverpool forward Diogo, adding that he ‘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’.
His death was confirmed by Pedro Proenca, head of the Portuguese Football Federation.
He said in a statement: ‘The Portuguese Football Federation and all of Portuguese football are completely devastated by the deaths of Diogo Jota and André Silva, this morning, in Spain.
‘Much more than an amazing player, with almost 50 internationalizations for the National A Team, Diogo Jota was an extraordinary person, respected by all teammates and opponents, someone with an infectious joy and a reference in the community itself.
Jota moved to Liverpool from Wolves
‘On my behalf, and on behalf of the Portuguese Football Federation, I express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Diogo and André Silva, as well as Liverpool FC and FC Penafiel, the clubs where, respectively, lined up the players.
‘The Portuguese Football Federation has already asked UEFA for a minute’s silence, this Thursday, before the match of our national team with Spain, in the women’s European Championship.
‘Lost to two champs. The disappearance of Diogo and Andre Silva represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football and we will do everything to, daily, honor their legacy’.
