CNN Español
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The Portuguese player Diogo José Teixeira da Silva, better known as Diogo Jota, died in the early hours of Thursday after a car accident in the town of Cernadilla, in the Spanish province of Zamora. Along with him, his brother André, who was also a footballer and was part of the Peñafiel squad, team of the Second Division of Portugal also lost his life.
The vehicle in which they were traveling would have suffered the explosion of a tire while trying to advance another car, according to Efe. This would have caused the loss of car control, which left the road, caught fire and was completely destroyed by the flames.
The accident is being investigated as a fact for possible speed, as confirmed by a source of the Government Subdelegation in Zamora to the PA news agency.
The Spanish Civil Guard declared CNN that the accident was due to the revidon of a tire by advancing. The vehicle, which according to Spanish media was a Lamborghini, caught fire after the accident, occurred around 00:30 local time.
Diogo Jota embodied the modern striker perfectly: intense, dynamic and focused on high pressure, as current coaches like.
He moved with speed to recover the ball, pressed tirelessly to rival defenders and did it with a contagious energy.
Born on December 4, 1996, Jota joined the youth divisions of Paços Ferreira when he was 13 years old. His debut as a professional arrived in October 2014 in the Cup of Portugal and a few months later, in February 2015, he made its premiere in the local league. He also managed to become the youngest scorer in the history of the club in the highest category.
The good moment of Portuguese football and its remarkable instinct in front of the bow – noted 20 goals in 47 matches with paços – caught the attention of Atlético de Madrid, which disbursed 7 million euros to buy it. However, he never played with the first rojiblanco team.
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Video shows the place of the accident where Diogo Jota and his brother died
There was two loan periods outside the Colchoneros: First he was ceded to Porto and then the Wolverhampton. His performance convinced the English club, who decided to buy his pass in 2018 for 14 million euros, a considerable figure for a team that then militated in the Championship.
In the Wolves he won a place as one of the most promising attackers in the tournament. Despite his short stature, he stood out for his speed, his surprising ability in the air game and his striking scoring capacity. He was a key part of the team’s promotion to the Premier League and, in society with Raúl Jiménez, helped the club to return to European competitions after almost 40 years.
After three years in the club and more than 40 goals marked under the direction of Nuno Espírito Santo, Liverpool paid 40 million euros for its signing in September 2020. At that time, the figure seemed excessive, especially because of the context of pandemic, but Jota soon justified the investment.
In a team considered one of the best in the recent history of Liverpool, Jota knew how to adapt to different roles, whether as a starter or from the bank. Initially Alternate of Firmino, in the last seasons he even won the position to Darwin Núñez on several occasions. He closed his stage in Anfield with 65 goals in 185 games and several titles to his credit: a Premier League, two glasses of the League, a FA Cup and a Community Shield.
“It’s amazing,” he said after consecrating the English league champion. “As a boy I dreamed of playing in the Premier, I never thought I would win it. I just wanted to be there because it was always the best league in the world. I succeeded with the Wolverhampton, but when I achieved that dream, I knew I could go further. And with Liverpool, I got it.”
In Liverpool he began friends with Colombian striker Luis Diaz and even honored him when the South American footballer had to be absent from his father’s kidnapping.
Internationally, he debuted with the National Team of Portugal in November 2019. He played 49 games, scored 14 goals and was part of the team that conquered UEFA Nations League in two editions: 2019 and 2025.
Jota, 28, had married at the end of June with his partner ten years ago, Rute Cardoso, with whom he had three children. “One day we will never forget,” Jota had written in a publication On Instagram about your wedding.
