Who was André Silva? Diogo Jota's footballer brother also killed in tragic car crash

Extra.ie​

04-07-2025

Jonathan Browne
04/07/2025
The football world is still in mourning following the tragic news on Thursday that both Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva lost their lives in a car crash in northwestern Spain.
The Liverpool forward had just come off the back of an immensely successful season at Anfield, helping the Reds secure their 20th league title in their first season under Arne Slot while also contributing to Portugal's success in last month's UEFA Nations League.
However we should acknowledge the life and career of his brother André Silva, who himself was also a professional footballer and played nearly 100 times across the Portuguese leagues. André Silva playing for FC Penafiel in 2024. Pic:Silva is just under three-and-a-half years younger than brother Diogo, being born on 28 April 2000 in Gondomar, a municipality east of Porto in the north of Portugal. Like Diogo, André played football from a young age at local side Gondomar before being picked up by FC Porto's academy in 2011.
While Diogo Jota never joined FC Porto's academy ranks, the two shared time at the club when Diogo joined the Portuguese giants on loan from Atletico Madrid in 2016.
An attacking midfielder by trade, André Silva was the smaller of the two brothers, standing at 5'6″ but was a very technical player. He played with the likes of PSG's star man Vitinha and Arsenal's Fabio Vieira in Porto's academy as well as at satellite club Padroense.
O Futebol Clube do Porto está de luto.É com choque e profundo pesar que enviamos as sentidas condolências à família e amigos do Diogo Jota e irmão André Silva, que também foi nosso atleta nos escalões de formação.
Descansem em paz.#FCPorto pic.twitter.com/BXlR8v7y7Z — FC Porto (@FCPorto) July 3, 2025
He would leave Porto's academy in 2017 and embark on a somewhat nomadic career around northern Portuguese clubs, lining out for the youth sides of some Primeira Liga regulars like Familicao, Boavista and brother Diogo's former side Pacos de Ferreira.
Alongside his footballing exploits André also balanced his academic studies and earned a degree in business management. He would break into senior football back home at Gondomar in 2021 and he would make 37 appearances in the fourth tier of Portuguese football, scoring nine times.
After two successful seasons at home André Silva would make a big jump when he moved top FC Penafiel, a second-division side in 2023. He would settle in instantly as he was a regular in the squad from the get go. André Silva playing for FC Penafiel in 2024. Pic:He would play a crucial part in this past season as FC Penafiel would make a run at promotion to the Primeira Liga. They sat atop of the table at several points early on in the season but their form collapsed in the second half and they ultimately finished 11th.
Silva played in all but two matches last season, starting in the majority of them and registered two goals and five assists. The last game he would ever play came on May 15 as he started in a 0-0 draw at home to Chaves in the final round of the Primeira Liga 2 season. He ultimately played 62 times for FC Penafiel and scored seven times.
He was present at his brother's wedding just 11 days before the accident that would ultimately take both brothers' life. At just 25 and on the rise André Silva had a bright career ahead of him, but his life has been tragically cut short.