Liverpool soccer player Diogo Jota has died in a car accident, the club announced on Thursday.
Jota, who was 28, and his brother André Silva, who was 25, were killed in a car crash on Thursday near Zamora, Spain. The Spanish Civil Guard, which is a national law enforcement agency in Spain, confirmed to The Associated Press that Jota and his brother were found dead after their Lamborghini went off the road on an isolated stretch of highway. The car was engulfed in flames when it was discovered.
There were no other vehicles involved in the accident, and police were still working to determine the cause as of Thursday. One theory is that the driver of the vehicle lost control because of a blown tire.
Jota had been with Liverpool since 2020 and made 182 appearances for the club. He was with Wolves prior to that and also played for Atletico Madrid and FC Porto.
Jota also played for the Portuguese national team and scored 14 goals in 49 international caps.
Silva was a professional soccer player as well and spent time playing in Portugal.
Jota married his longtime girlfriend Rute Cardoso on June 22. Jota and Cardoso have three children together.
Jota and Cardoso shared a video from their wedding on social media Wednesday that was captioned “A day we will never forget.”
Liverpool said in a statement that the club is “devastated” by Jota’s death and asked that people respect his family’s privacy.
“Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota,” the club said. “Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request the privacy of Diogo and André’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.”
