First picture of Diogo Jota's car after Liverpool ace tragically dies in fire
The Liverpool striker, 28, was killed in a car crash on Thursday along with his brother Andre, 26. The tragic incident occurred around 00:30 local time in the Spanish province of Zamora.
Police stated that their vehicle – a Lamborghini – veered off the road following a tyre blowout while they were overtaking another car. The vehicle then went up in flames, with pictures revealing the terrifying aftermath.
Fire services were called to the scene to extinguish the blaze, which reportedly spread to nearby vegetation. Despite their efforts, they could not rescue the lives of the two professional footballers.
El Pais has reported that the extent of the fire damage made it impossible to perform the tests needed to confirm beyond any doubt that the deceased were the Portugal international player and his brother.
The accident occurred just 11 days after Jota's wedding to his long-term partner, Rute Cardoso. His final Instagram post, shared mere hours before the accident, was a heartfelt video montage of their wedding day, featuring their three children, captioned: "A day we will never forget," accompanied by a love heart emoji.
Having been together since 2012, they became engaged in July 2022 after the former Wolves striker proposed at a scenic lakeside location. And just days before his untimely death, Rute and Jota had posted photos of their wedding ceremony, which took place in a church last month in their native Portugal.
Rute wrote: "Yes to forever. My dream came true," while her husband added: "I'm the lucky one."
Jota signed for Liverpool in 2020, where he quickly became a fan favourite at Anfield due to his decisive goals, including nine last season that aided the Reds in securing the Premier League title. He netted a total of 65 goals in 182 appearances for the Anfield side.
He also represented Portugal as they triumphed over Spain in the final of the Nations League in June. Jota had been enjoying his summer holiday ahead of his return to Liverpool for pre-season training.
An official statement from his club read: 'Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota. 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.'
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