Police issue statement on cause of Diogo Jota car crash that killed Liverpool star and brother

Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota has died in a car crash in northwest Spain early on Thursday morning, causing widespread grief across the football community. It was reported by local media that the car Jota was travelling in with his brother Andre, who also perished in the accident, lost control and burst into flames.

The incident occurred when one of the vehicle's tyres failed during an overtaking manoeuvre on the A-52, some 70 miles west of Valladolid, around 1.:40 am, as stated by Spanish news agency Efe.

After firefighters subdued the fire, which had spread to nearby plants, they worked jointly with emergency responders and the Civil Guard. The deaths of both occupants were confirmed shortly upon arrival of medical teams at the scene.

Twenty-eight-year-old Jota had only recently married Rute Cardoso, with whom he has three children, and had expressed feeling like "the luckiest man in the world" to be her husband.

Following the announcement of this distressing event, tributes have been pouring in. Jamie Carragher, a legendary figure at Liverpool, expressed his grief on social media, saying: "Absolutely devastated by the sad news about Diogo Jota," along with a broken heart emoji, and sending thoughts to his wife Rute and their children, reports the Mirror.

Rio Ferdinand, revered Manchester United icon, shared his condolences as well: "Absolutely heartbreaking. My thoughts and prayers go out to Diogo Jota, Andre Silva, their family and friends!".

Ruben Neves, former teammate of Jota at Wolves and the Portugal national side, expressed his deep sorrow, saying: "They say we only lose people when we forget them. I will never forget you!".

In a profound statement Liverpool Football Club shared their devastation over Diogo Jota's tragic death, saying: "Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota. The club have been informed the 28-year-old has passed away following a road traffic accident in Spain along with his brother, Andre."

The statement further read: "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.We will continue to provide them with our full support."

The Portuguese Football Federation shared their heartfelt grief, stating: "The Portuguese Football Federation and all of Portuguese football are completely devastated by the deaths of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, this morning, in Spain."

Detailing Jota's esteemed personality, the Federation said: "Diogo Jota was an extraordinary person, respected by all colleagues and opponents, someone with a contagious joy and a reference in his own community. The Portuguese Football Federation expresses its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Diogo and Andre Silva, as well as to Liverpool FC and FC Penafiel, the clubs where the players respectively played."

Reflecting on the immense loss, the statement concluded: "We have lost two champions. The passing of Diogo and Andre Silva represents irreparable losses for Portuguese Football, and we will do everything to honour their legacy daily."

Jota, who made 182 appearances for Liverpool and scored 65 goals, was part of the team that won the Premier League title last season, as well as the FA Cup and League Cup in 2022.

The Portuguese international moved to Anfield from Wolves in a £45million deal in 2020, having previously played for Atletico Madrid, Porto and Pacos de Ferreira. He has represented Portugal 49 times, netting 14 goals.

His brother Andre Silva, also a footballer, was playing for Liga Portugal 2 side Penafiel at the time of his passing.