What we know about Diogo Jota's death in a car crash in Spain
Diogo José Teixeira da Silva, known as Diogo Jota, was a Liverpool FC player since 2020 and a Portuguese international.
His brother André Felipe Silva was also a footballer, playing for Futebol Clube Penafiel, a team in the Portuguese second division.
Jota got married only ten days before the fatal car accident.
All of Spain's main sports dailies, including Marca and As, initially reported the news.
Then Spain's leading newspaper El País has also confirmed the tragic accident.
The provincial government of Zamora, where the accident took place, also tweeted out a message saying that 'two young men have died in a car accident'. They have not named Diogo Jota and his brother Andre but they have confirmed their ages, 28 and 26.
Spanish police then also confirmed the death of the footballer.
Where and when did the accident happen?
The traffic accident reportedly took place on the A52 motorway in Cernadilla, in the province Zamora, in northwest Spain.
The Spanish city of Zamora is around 55 kilometres from the border with Portugal.
According to sources involved in the investigation, the two Portuguese brothers died aboard a Lamborghini that, for reasons under investigation, left the Rías Bajas motorway (A52) at kilometer 65, heading towards the town of Benavente, at around 12.40 am on Thursday July 3rd 2025.
What caused the accident?
Sources consulted by Spanish news agency EFE indicate that the car may have suffered a tire blowout while overtaking, causing it to leave the road and catch fire.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze, which spread to surrounding vegetation, and collaborated with emergency medical services and Spain's Civil Guard police.
Medical services on the scene could only confirm the deaths of the two occupants of the vehicle.
According to the provincial government of Zamora, the bodies of the two occupants of the car are charred, and the Institute of Forensic Medicine is working to confirm their identities.
What has the reaction been?
Tributes to Jota began to pour in from the world of football, with many left devastated and shocked by his sudden death.
Pedro Proença, the president of the Portuguese FA, wrote on social media: 'The Portuguese football federation and the entire Portuguese football community are completely devastated by the death of Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, this morning in Spain.
"Much more than a fantastic player, who played almost 50 matches 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.
'On my behalf, and on behalf of the Portuguese Football Federation, I express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Diogo and André Silva, as well as to Liverpool FC and FC Penafiel, the clubs where the players played respectively."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Local Spain
2 days ago
- Local Spain
What we know about Diogo Jota's death in a car crash in Spain
Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota, 28, and his brother André, 26, died in the crash in northwest Spain on Thursday. Diogo José Teixeira da Silva, known as Diogo Jota, was a Liverpool FC player since 2020 and a Portuguese international. His brother André Felipe Silva was also a footballer, playing for Futebol Clube Penafiel, a team in the Portuguese second division. Jota got married only ten days before the fatal car accident. All of Spain's main sports dailies, including Marca and As, initially reported the news. Then Spain's leading newspaper El País has also confirmed the tragic accident. The provincial government of Zamora, where the accident took place, also tweeted out a message saying that 'two young men have died in a car accident'. They have not named Diogo Jota and his brother Andre but they have confirmed their ages, 28 and 26. Spanish police then also confirmed the death of the footballer. Where and when did the accident happen? The traffic accident reportedly took place on the A52 motorway in Cernadilla, in the province Zamora, in northwest Spain. The Spanish city of Zamora is around 55 kilometres from the border with Portugal. According to sources involved in the investigation, the two Portuguese brothers died aboard a Lamborghini that, for reasons under investigation, left the Rías Bajas motorway (A52) at kilometer 65, heading towards the town of Benavente, at around 12.40 am on Thursday July 3rd 2025. What caused the accident? Sources consulted by Spanish news agency EFE indicate that the car may have suffered a tire blowout while overtaking, causing it to leave the road and catch fire. Firefighters extinguished the blaze, which spread to surrounding vegetation, and collaborated with emergency medical services and Spain's Civil Guard police. Medical services on the scene could only confirm the deaths of the two occupants of the vehicle. According to the provincial government of Zamora, the bodies of the two occupants of the car are charred, and the Institute of Forensic Medicine is working to confirm their identities. What has the reaction been? Tributes to Jota began to pour in from the world of football, with many left devastated and shocked by his sudden death. Pedro Proença, the president of the Portuguese FA, wrote on social media: 'The Portuguese football federation and the entire Portuguese football community are completely devastated by the death of Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, this morning in Spain. "Much more than a fantastic player, who played almost 50 matches 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. 'On my behalf, and on behalf of the Portuguese Football Federation, I express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Diogo and André Silva, as well as to Liverpool FC and FC Penafiel, the clubs where the players played respectively."
Local Spain
21-06-2025
- Local Spain
Spanish police enter ruling Socialist HQ in corruption probe
A police report released last week implicated Socialist heavyweight Santos Cerdán and ex-transport minister Jose Luis Ábalos in receiving kickbacks in the improper awarding of public contracts. In a ruling issued on Friday, a Supreme Court judge ordered the Civil Guard to clone the contents of Cerdán's work email account at the Socialist headquarters. The judge also requested information on Cerdán's bank accounts and wealth, summoning him to testify on June 30th, and instructed officers to clone Ábalos's email account at the transport ministry. The images of police entering Socialist headquarters are damaging for an administration that came to power in 2018 promising to clean up Spanish politics after the rival conservative Popular Party (PP) was convicted in its own graft affair. Cerdán has relinquished his powerful post as Socialist organisation secretary and as an MP. The party has definitively expelled Ábalos. The scandal has shaken the minority coalition with far-left formation Sumar and relations with an array of leftist and regional separatist parties the government depends on to pass legislation. Legal investigations are also underway against Sánchez's wife, brother and Socialist-appointed top prosecutor. But the Socialist premier, one of Europe's longest-serving leftist leaders, has rebuffed demands from the PP and far-right party Vox to resign and call early elections.
Local Spain
20-06-2025
- Local Spain
Driving in Spain: The new road signs from July 2025
Spain has made the decision to modernise some of its road and traffic signs to adapt to new forms of mobility, such as electric scooters and low-emission vehicles, as well as improve understanding and safety on the roads. The new catalogue of traffic signs approved by the Spanish Cabinet will come into force on July 1st, meaning you could start to see new ones on roads from next month. Local authorities have until July 2026, however, to remove old signs, so it may be a while yet. Spain's General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) has given five clear reasons why it deems it necessary to change these signs. New means of transport - The emergence of personal mobility vehicles (MVPs) such as scooters and electric bicycles, requires specific regulations. Technology and sustainability - The proliferation of electric and low-emission zones require adapted signs. Clarity and road safety - Some old signs caused confusion or had outdated pictograms. Gender perspective - Stereotypes are eliminated in several signs. International harmonisation - Spain wants to align itself with the Vienna Convention on road signs. The new catalogue of traffic signs incorporates a series of new symbols created to respond to the new realities and mobility needs posed by a constantly evolving society. As well as new signs the DGT have replaced some of the old signs with new ones. For example, the P-21 sign warns drivers that there may be children playing close by. These are typically placed near schools, nurseries and playgrounds. The only difference to the current sign is that now the brother is younger and the sister is older, rather than the other way around. The DGT has released two infographics showing some of the new signs, as well as which have been updated. New Signs The first new sign on the top left with the two people in the red triangle means is a sign to warn drivers of their proximity to nursing homes. The one next to this, known as the p-22 shows a man riding a bicycle in a red triangle. This is to warn drivers of the presence of cycle lanes. The next one down on the right hand side (R412b) with a car tyre and a block of ice indicates that you should not continue driving without special winter tires. On the left next to this is sign R-420 – an electric scooter in a blue circle. It means that drivers of bicycles and personal mobility vehicles must use the road at the entrance they are located. It also prohibits other road users from using it. Under this on the left is a blue square with an electric scooter and a bicycle on one side and a pedestrian on the other. This is S-43 which indicates the existence of a road designated for the circulation of bicycles, MVPs, and pedestrians, with differentiated space between the first two and third. The design of the sign may be adapted to the actual space conditions on each road. Next to this on the left is a blue box with a car, a cyclist and two pedestrians, plus the number 20 in a red circle. This is S-47 which indicates a traffic zone intended primarily for pedestrians. The maximum speed limit for all vehicles and cyclists here is 20km. Where applicable, personal mobility vehicles may travel in both directions, unless otherwise established. Vehicles may park only in places designated by signs or markings; games and sports are not permitted. The signs at the bottom indicate electric charging stations for vehicles, as well as LPG and hydrogen points. The DGT has also re-designed some of the old signs to update them. The top sign – the P-8, warns drivers of a level crossing at a train track without barriers. It is already in use, but it is being replaced with a new one showing modern electric train rather than the old steam train. The second one is an updated version of a sign that warns of the danger due to a section of the road with a steep upward or downward slope, the new signs now including an arrow to clarify which is which. Sign P-33, the third sign down on the infographic warns drivers about dangers due to reduced visibility in the area. This could be because of fog, rain, snow or smoke. It now shows a car half covered by black lines instead of just a few black dots, in order to make it clearer. Below that is the updated road sign which signals no entry to mopeds and lastly the new version of the road sign which prohibits entry to agricultural motor vehicles.
