Liverpool left ‘devastated' by Jota's death
LIVERPOOL : Liverpool said today that the club had been left 'devastated' by the death of Portuguese forward Diogo Jota and his brother in a car crash in Spain.
Spanish police said a vehicle veered off a motorway and burst into flames shortly after midnight in the northern province of Zamora.
Jota, 28, got married to his partner Rute Cardoso on June 22.
The couple had three children.
He spent the last five years at Anfield and helped the English giants win the Premier League last season.
'Liverpool football club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota,' the club said in a statement.
'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.'
Fans were quick to arrive at Anfield following the news and laid down tributes of their own, including scarves, wreaths and flowers.
Capped 49 times by Portugal, Jota previously played with Atletico Madrid and Porto before moving to England in 2017 with Wolves.
His impressive form earned a £45 million move to Liverpool three years later where he quickly became a fans' favourite thanks to his goalscoring prowess.
Jota scored 65 times for the Reds and also lifted the League Cup and FA Cup in the 2021/22 season.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
Soccer-Neto grieves Jota's death as Chelsea face Palmeiras in Club World Cup
Flowers lie on photographs of Liverpool's Portuguese soccer player Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash near Zamora, Spain, outside Gondomar stadium in Gondomar, Portugal, July 3, 2025. REUTERS/Pedro Nunes PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) -Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca confirmed on Thursday that forward Pedro Neto will decide whether to play in Friday's Club World Cup quarter-final against Palmeiras, as the Portuguese international mourns the tragic death of his close friend and team mate Diogo Jota. Jota, a Liverpool forward, and his brother were killed in a car accident in northwestern Spain on Thursday morning when their Lamborghini veered off the road and caught fire. Neto, deeply affected by the loss, was excused from training but chose to remain with the squad in Philadelphia. 'It's a difficult moment. You feel helpless,' Maresca said in a press conference. 'Pedro is more than sad, and we are all here to support him. Any decision he makes—whether to play or not—is the right one, and we will back him fully.' Neto's potential absence adds a layer of uncertainty for Chelsea, who are preparing to face a Palmeiras side featuring 18-year-old winger Estevao, a player set to join the Blues after the tournament. Estevao was signed last year for an initial 34 million euros, with add-ons potentially bringing the deal to 67 million, according to British media. The teenager admitted that the move has been an emotional distraction. 'It's been hard balancing the emotions of playing my final games for Palmeiras while also thinking about my future at Chelsea,' Estevao said earlier this week. However, Maresca dismissed suggestions that Estevao's impending transfer could influence Chelsea's preparations. 'When we prepare for games, we prepare for the team, not for one player,' Maresca said. 'Estevao is a Palmeiras player right now. I've never spoken to him, though I've met his family. Now is not the time to discuss the future.' The Chelsea manager also praised Brazilian football, emphasising his respect for the South American giants. 'I've always respected Brazilian football; I didn't need this competition to understand how good they are,' he said. 'Palmeiras have shown their quality and will continue to do so.' Chelsea face a significant challenge in Palmeiras, who advanced to the quarter-finals with a 1-0 extra-time win over Botafogo. With Neto's participation uncertain and Estevao looking to leave his mark before departing for London, the quarter-final promises to be a gripping encounter. (Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Editing by Michael Perry)
Malay Mail
6 hours ago
- Malay Mail
‘Difficult day': Al Hilal's Portuguese duo mourn Diogo Jota after fatal crash before Club World Cup quarter-final
ORLANDO, July 4 — Al Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi said the death of Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota had impacted his team ahead of their Club World Cup quarter-final against Fluminense on Friday. The Saudi club's full-back Joao Cancelo is a Portugal international and midfielder Ruben Neves was a team-mate of Jota with both the Portugal national team and at Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers. The 28-year-old Jota died alongside his younger brother Andre after their vehicle veered off a motorway in northern Spain before bursting into flames on Thursday. 'We all know it's a sad day because of what happened to Diogo and Andre, unfortunately, these are things that shouldn't happen, which happened,' said the Italian. 'As we are all aware, we have two Portuguese players, Ruben Neves and Cancelo, who were very close to the guys. Clearly today was a difficult day for everyone. We tried to work but clearly, the atmosphere today was not the same as other days. It was a tragedy,' he added. Al Hilal left-back Moteb Al Alharbi said the team had tried to be supportive to the Portuguese pair. 'From the moment we woke up today we were shocked by the news. They are team-mates of his and we all felt the sadness but we were all around them. I also believe they will be ready although they have this shocking news,' he said. 'They were not at their best emotionally but I believe they will be focused for the game,' added Saudi winger Khalid Alghannam. — AFP
Sinar Daily
6 hours ago
- Sinar Daily
Diogo Jota: Liverpool's 'exceptional player, exceptional boy'
LIVERPOOL - Diogo Jota was quickly hailed by the Liverpool support as "better than (Luis) Figo" and the shocking death of the Portuguese international on Thursday has left the English champions in mourning. The 28-year-old died alongside his younger brother Andre after their vehicle veered off a motorway in northern Spain before bursting into flames. Fans laid hundreds of shirts, scarves and flowers in tribute at Anfield. - AFP file photo A product of the Pacos de Ferreira academy on the outskirts of his native Porto, Jota made his name and played the majority of his professional career in the Premier League. His precocious talent caught the eye of Atletico Madrid who snapped him up in 2016 but he never played a game for the Spanish giants. Instead, after a loan spell at Porto, Jota was among the first wave of Portuguese talent parachuted into England at then second-tier Wolves due to the club's connections with super-agent Jorge Mendes. Jota's goals helped fire Wolves from the Championship to the quarter-finals of the Europa League in just three seasons. That caught the eye of Liverpool, who splashed out a £45 million ($62 million) transfer fee for the versatile forward even in the midst of the economic meltdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. "Exceptional player, exceptional boy," said former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp during Jota's early days at Anfield. "He has everything that a Liverpool player in this squad needs." Jota took little time to deliver some return on Liverpool's investment, becoming the first player in the club's history to score in his first four home games. Once supporters were back in the stands after the pandemic, Jota's popularity was reflected in a chant proclaiming him to be better than Portugal legend Figo, who played for Real Madrid and Barcelona during his decorated career. He was a key part of the side that won the League Cup and FA Cup in 2021/22, narrowly missing out on the Premier League and Champions League for what would have been an unprecedented quadruple. 'He will never be forgotten' In total, Jota struck 65 times in 182 appearances for the Reds, the last of which won the Merseyside derby against Everton in April to edge Liverpool ever closer to a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title. "Hard work, desire, commitment, great quality, goals. The essence of what a Liverpool player should be," said Liverpool boss Arne Slot. "There were also the parts that not everyone got to see. The person who never sought popularity but found it anyway. Not a friend to two people, a friend to everyone." But not for the first time in Liverpool's rich history, tragedy has struck to overshadow triumph. Jota's last public act as a player on Merseyside was taking part in the trophy parade through the city, which will be remembered for a car ploughing into the crowds, injuring 109 people. Fans laid hundreds of shirts, scarves and flowers in tribute at Anfield. Cristiano Ronaldo was among those to express his disbelief that his international team-mate has passed. "It makes no sense," the five-time Ballon d'Or winner posted on social media. "Rest in Peace, Diogo and Andre. We will all miss you." Ronaldo and Jota, who won 49 caps for his country, had been part of the Portugal team that won the Nations League last month. Jota then wed his long-time partner and mother of his three children, Rute Cardoso, less than two weeks ago. "Diogo was a not only a fantastic player, but also a great friend, a loving and caring husband and father," added Klopp. Off the field, Jota was well-known for his passion for video games and even had his own esports team Luna Esports. "When the time is right, we will celebrate Diogo Jota, we will remember his goals and we will sing his song," added Slot. "For the time being, we will remember him as a unique human being and mourn his loss. He will never be forgotten." - AFP
