Liverpool Football Club and its fans are mourning the death of Portuguese forward Diogo Jota, who was killed in a car crash in Spain with his brother on Thursday.
“Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota,” the club wrote on social media on Thursday.
Jota, 28, died early Thursday in a car crash near Zamora in northwestern Spain with his brother Andre Silva, the Portuguese Football Federation confirmed.
The regional fire department of Castile and Leon, where Zamora is located, said on its website that a Lamborghini veered off the A-52 highway shortly after midnight and burst into flames, with two men, aged 28 and 26, found dead.
Jota — who got married on June 28 — helped Liverpool win the Premier League last season and also won the FA Cup and League Cup with the Merseyside club.
“Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request the privacy of Diogo and Andre’s family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss,” the team said.
The Portuguese Football Federation also released a statement expressing deep sorrow over the loss of the two players.
“We have lost two champions. The passing of Diogo and André Silva represents an irreparable loss for Portuguese football and we will do everything we can to honour their legacy every day,” it said
“Much more than just a fantastic player, who played almost 50 times for the National A Team, Diogo Jota was an extraordinary person, respected by all his teammates and opponents, someone with an infectious joy and a reference in the community itself.”
The Federation said it had asked UEFA for a minute’s silence before then national side’s match against Spain in the Women’s European Championship on Thursday.
Diogo Jota arrived at Anfield from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020 and scored 65 goals in 182 appearances for the club in all competitions.
He also made 49 appearances for Portugal, twice winning the UEFA Nations League.
His brother Andre Silva was a midfielder with FC Penafiel in the Portuguese second division.