Liverpool's Diogo Jota dies in car accident
The 28-year-old Portugal forward and his brother, Andre Silva, were killed in Zamora, Spain, when their car skidded off the road and caught fire
Diogo Jota, a Liverpool forward, died in a car accident on Thursday (July 3). The 28-year-old Portugal forward’s brother, Andre Silva, also died in the accident. Andre was also a professional footballer.
According to a BBC report, the incident took place in the Spanish province of Zamora. The report further stated that Diogo Jota and his brother were travelling in a Lamborghini, which suddenly skidded off the road after one of its tyres burst while overtaking another vehicle and then caught fire.
What is Spanish Civil Guard saying
Jota, who played a key role in Liverpool’s Premier League title win last season and also played for the Portugal national team when they defeated Spain in the Nations League in June, got married to Rute Cardose on June 22.
According to the Spanish law enforcement agency Civil Guard, the accident took place in the early hours of Thursday in the Cernadilla municipality in Spain’s Zamora. "The car caught on fire and the two occupants were killed,” read the statement quoted by the BBC. The Civil Guard also confirmed that Andre and his brother had died in the accident.
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Football Federation chief condoles death
Condoling the deaths, Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca said in a statement that the Portuguese Football Federation and all of Portuguese football are completely devastated by the death of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, on Thursday morning, in Spain.
"Much more than an amazing player, with almost 50 international appearances for the national team, Diogo Jota was an extraordinary person, someone with an infectious joy and a reference in the community itself,” he added.
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‘Asked Uefa for a minute's silence’
“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 Liverpool FC and FC Penafiel, the clubs where, respectively, they played their football,” said Proenca.
He also said that the Portuguese Football Federation has asked Uefa for a minute's silence on Thursday before Portugal’s match with Spain in the women's European Championship.
"The loss of Diogo and Andre represents irreplaceable losses for Portuguese football and we will do everything, daily, to honour their legacy,” added Proenca.