Diogo Jota dies in accident: Physiotherapist reveals new information

Diogo Jota, a Liverpool FC player, has died. The 28-year-old died in a car accident in the Spanish province of Zamora on Thursday morning, as confirmed by the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, Pedro Proenca. Also in the Lamborghini was Jota's brother, André Silva, 25, also a professional footballer with the Portuguese club Penafiel.

The brothers drove off the road at kilometer 65 near the municipality of Palacios de Sanabria on the A-52 motorway, a popular route out of northern Portugal. The car subsequently caught fire, according to witnesses who alerted the emergency services at around 12:40 a.m. The flames also spread to the surrounding vegetation. Emergency services could only confirm the deaths of the two young men upon arriving at the scene.

Meanwhile, several sources are reporting that one of the car's tires burst – presumably during an overtaking maneuver. This allegedly caused the car to veer off the road. According to the media outlet "Zamora24horas," both men were burned beyond recognition, and their remains have been taken to a forensic institute. Images from the accident scene show that Jota's sports car was completely destroyed. The two victims had no chance.

According to Portuguese media reports, Jota and his brother were on their way to Santander, Spain, to board a ferry to Great Britain. According to the report, Jota was not allowed to fly because he had recently undergone lung surgery and had been banned from flying by doctors.

Jota's physiotherapist, Miguel Goncalves, also spoke about this connection in a video interview with the Portuguese newspaper "Record." Goncalves said he treated Jota for five days. He then said goodbye to Jota and his brother around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday evening. "His brother decided to travel with him [to England] to spend more time together." The rest of the family, Jota's wife and children, were to follow by plane.

Jota and Silva wanted to complete the eight-hour journey at night to avoid the heat. Goncalves: "They wanted to take a detour and stop at a hotel near Burgos to rest." Jota was very "enthusiastic" about recovering quickly and was very much looking forward to the new season with Liverpool, Goncalves said. The physiotherapist clearly refuted rumors that Jota might have been drinking: "They weren't celebrating."

The local newspaper "El Norte de Castilla" spoke with residents of the 100-person village of Cernadilla, in whose immediate vicinity the accident occurred. The highway is very dangerous at this point. "It's full of curves," according to a source from the town hall.

"Poor visibility often causes accidents in this area at night," it continues. Today, two famous footballers were involved, but tomorrow there might be two more anonymous victims."

As the British "Sun" reports, the A52 is considered the most dangerous motorway in the region according to the latest accident report.

According to Portuguese media reports, the funeral is scheduled to begin on Friday at 3 p.m. local time. A memorial service will be held in the town of São Cosme, where Jota married his wife, Rute Cardoso, just two weeks ago, half an hour from Porto. The actual funeral is scheduled to take place on Saturday at 10 a.m.

The bodies of the two deceased have already been released. The Institute of Forensic Medicine in Zamora, Spain, returned the brothers' remains to the family. According to the Portuguese newspaper "Jornal de Notícias," the brothers' parents and their widow, who had recently married Diogo Jota, had to identify the two dead men.

The Spanish newspaper "El Mundo" was on site in Zamora during the identification of the bodies. Relatives held a five-hour vigil at the funeral home. Repeated wailing from the building broke the silence.

Jota had just married his girlfriend, Rute Cardoso, on June 22. The couple had three children, born in 2021, 2023, and 2024. The day before the accident, an interview was published in which Jota described himself as the "happiest man in the world."

"The Portuguese Football Federation and all of Portuguese football are deeply shocked by the deaths of Diogo Jota and André Silva this morning in Spain," read a statement from the Portuguese Football Federation. "We lost to two champions. The disappearance of Diogo and André Silva represents an irreparable loss for Portuguese football, and we will do everything we can to honor their legacy every day."

Liverpool FC, whose training start on Monday Jota was due to arrive, expressed shock. "Liverpool FC is devastated by the tragic death of Diogo Jota," the club wrote. "Liverpool FC will have no further comment at this time and asks that the privacy of Diogo and Andre's family, friends, teammates, and club staff be respected as they try to cope with this unimaginable loss. We will continue to offer them our full support."

Jürgen Klopp also spoke out about the death of his former player. "It breaks my heart to hear of the passing of Diogo and his brother André," the former Liverpool manager wrote on his Instagram page. "Diogo was not only a fantastic player, but also a great friend, a loving and caring husband, and a father!"

Jota moved from Wolverhampton to Liverpool in 2020 for €44.7 million and subsequently played under Klopp until 2024. "This is a moment where I'm wrestling with myself. There has to be a greater purpose. But I can't see it," Klopp continued. "We will miss you so much!"

Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo also commented via Instagram: "This doesn't make sense. We were just on the national team together and you got married. I send my sincere condolences to your family, your wife and your children and wish you all the strength in the world. I know you will always be with them. Rest in peace, Diogo and André. We will miss you all."

FC Porto, one of Jota's former clubs, also offered condolences on X. "The Futebol Clube do Porto is in mourning. With shock and deep sadness, we extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, who was also our youth player," reads one post. "Rest in peace."

This afternoon, European Football's governing body UEFA announced that there will be a minute's silence at the Women's European Championship in Switzerland in memory of the 28-year-old. Accordingly, a moment of silence will be observed at all matches today and Friday to honor Jota and his brother. UEFA is thus responding to a request from the Portuguese Football Federation.