The football community remains in shock one week after Diogo Jota’s life was cut short in a fiery car crash that also claimed his younger brother. New information reveals the Liverpool star was taking extra precautions with his health just before the fatal accident, having recently undergone lung surgery that prevented him from flying.
Jota and 25-year-old André Silva were traveling along Spain’s treacherous A-52 highway when their vehicle left the road near the Portuguese border. The subsequent fire burned so fiercely that surrounding vegetation caught flame, complicating rescue efforts. Authorities needed advanced forensic testing to identify the brothers among the wreckage.
Skid marks at the scene suggest the driver attempted to brake suddenly before the crash, though investigators haven’t determined what prompted this reaction. The dangerous stretch of road, known for its lack of safety barriers, has claimed numerous lives over the years.
The timing makes the tragedy particularly cruel – Jota had wed his partner Rute Cardoso less than two weeks earlier, leaving behind three children including a newborn daughter. Tributes from teammates emphasize not just the loss of a phenomenal player, but of a devoted family man. As Cristiano Ronaldo poignantly noted in his farewell message, “I know you will always be with them.”
