Liverpool football star Diogo Jota dies in car crash in Spain: police
"Everything points to the blowout of a tyre while it (the vehicle) was overtaking," the Civil Guard said in a statement.
Portuguese football federation president Pedro Proenca wrote on social media that he was "devastated", calling Jota "an extraordinary person, respected by all his colleagues and opponents, someone blessed with an infectious joy and a reference for his own community".
Proenca said they had asked UEFA for a minute's silence before Portugal's Women's Euro 2025 match against Spain in Switzerland on Thursday.
"We have lost two champions. The death of Diogo and Andre Silva are irreparable losses for Portuguese football, and we will do everything possible to honour their legacy every day," Proenca added.
Jota had married his partner Rute Cardoso on June 22, posting a video of their wedding on Instagram just hours before the accident.
They had three children.
The former Atletico Madrid, Porto and Wolverhampton Wanderers star scored nine goals in all competitions last season as Liverpool cruised to their 20th Premier League title.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Youthful Chelsea ready for Thiago Silva reunion at Club World Cup
Silva was already a veteran when he signed for Chelsea in 2020 before going on to have an impressive four-year stint at Stamford Bridge. One of the finest centre-backs of his generation, Silva arrived after eight years at Paris Saint-Germain and in his first season at Chelsea won the UEFA Champions League. He played 155 games for the London club and left 12 months ago after helping oversee the development of some of the young talents now featuring regularly under Enzo Maresca. "He's a legend of football, a top player," Marc Cucurella, a teammate of Silva's for two years, told English media, adding that the two had exchanged messages about their impending reunion. "We have the opportunity to play against him again and hopefully we can do good things, win this game and play in the final." Silva initially made his name at Fluminense, featuring in the team that reached the Copa Libertadores final in 2008 before losing to LDU Quito of Ecuador. He returned there upon leaving Chelsea, once again pulling on the green, red and white of the Rio de Janeiro outfit who won the Copa Libertadores in 2023. The evergreen Brazil international was then reunited earlier this year with Renato Gaucho, the coach in 2008 who is now in his sixth spell in charge. An impressive run at the Club World Cup has seen Fluminense hold Borussia Dortmund in the group stage, eliminate Inter Milan in the last 16 and get the better of Saudi powerhouse Al Hilal in the quarter-finals. "If you had asked me beforehand if we would have got this far I would have said we were a long way away from doing so," Silva told broadcaster DAZN after the victory over Al Hilal. "We know the financial size of these teams, the difference is enormous, absurd. But often our collective, the family atmosphere that we have, gives us strength that you maybe don't think you have." Brazilian opposition again It is not just Silva raising the average age at Fluminense. There is also 44-year-old goalkeeper Fabio, wing-back Samuel Xavier at 35 and 37-year-old Argentine forward German Cano. But the man giving them the X-factor is 27-year-old Colombian winger Jhon Arias, unquestionably one of the players of the tournament. "I have watched some games that they have played and you can see that they are very well organised. They have some very good players. The manager is doing a fantastic job," Maresca said as he prepares to face Brazilian opposition for the third time at the tournament. They lost to Flamengo in the group stage but beat Palmeiras in the quarter-finals in Philadelphia. "The energy from Brazilian teams in this competition has been high -- probably the reason why is because they are at the start of their season while we are finished the season," Maresca added. Chelsea now get their first taste of the MetLife Stadium, the hulking 82,500-capacity venue in East Rutherford, New Jersey, just outside New York City. Many of Maresca's players may not have been sure what to make of FIFA's new tournament which came at the end of a campaign in which they finished fourth in the Premier League and won the UEFA Conference League. But suddenly they stand one game from the final, in which they would face either Real Madrid or PSG. With Silva gone, Maresca has been working with a young squad at Chelsea, and the average age of his starting line-up against Palmeiras last Friday was just 24. There are more young players coming in too, with 23-year-old Brazilian forward Joao Pedro, formerly of Fluminense, making his debut in the quarter-finals. Brazil prodigy Estevao Willian, 18, will join from Palmeiras ahead of next season and 20-year-old winger Jamie Gittens has just signed from Borussia Dortmund.
France 24
12 hours ago
- France 24
Hansen shoots Norway to brink of Euro 2025 quarter-finals
Barcelona star Hansen snatched the three points in Sion with a mishit cross six minutes before the end to keep Norway top of Group with a perfect six points. Gemma Grainger's side will become the first team to reach the last eight if Iceland fail to beat hosts Switzerland in Bern later on Sunday. Norway looked set to dominate when Eva Nystrom diverted Hansen's low cross into her own net, and they were unlucky not be two ahead midway through the first half after striking the woodwork twice in the space of a minute. First, Ingrid Engen nodded Vilde Boe Risa's probing cross onto the post in the 24th minute. Then, Finland goalkeeper Anna Koivunen tipped an inswinging corner onto the upright. Koivunen pulled off two more superb stops four minutes later, tipping away Hansen's low drive before charging out to deny Ada Hegerberg just as it looked like the former Ballon d'Or winner was certain to net from close range. Koivunen's goalkeeping heroics were rewarded in the 32nd minute when Oona Sevenius kept her head on the edge of the penalty box to guide home a superb leveller. Finland suddenly looked far more likely to take the points, with Eveliina Summanen denied a brilliant goal when Norway goalkeeper Cecilie Fiskerstrand tipped a shot onto the post. Hansen seemed to have missed her chance to win the match for Norway in the 82nd minute when she blasted over from point-blank range. She made up moments later when she skipped past two Finnish defenders, burst into the box, evaded two more players and lofted the ball in off the post. © 2025 AFP
France 24
16 hours ago
- France 24
Caldentey's Arsenal stint boosting her bid for Euros and Ballon d'Or glory
Versatile Caldentey is back with her former Barcelona teammates in a powerful Spain side who are the clear favourites for overall victory in Switzerland, ahead of La Roja's second Group B match with Belgium on Monday. The reigning world champions looked a cut above the rest of the tournament in Thursday's 5-0 hammering of Portugal, and expectations are high for Spain to win Euro 2025. "We see it (the pressure) more as a privilege. I think in recent years we've become more accustomed to it. You have to live with it," says the 29-year-old in an interview with AFP. "We have a lot of weapons... We're a super-complete team." Caldentey came into Euro 2025 on a high from winning the women's Champions League with Arsenal, beating her old Barca buddies who have dominated Spanish and European women's football in recent seasons in the final. "The Barca "DNA" is obviously a style of football I love and is more or less similar to what we want to play here (with Spain)," says Caldentey. "But I knew that leaving would also provide me with a change in style, and that was what I was looking for." Her first season in England, which she likens to the Erasmus European student programme, could barely have gone better. Triumph in the Champions League -- her third in as many seasons -- came after she was crowned the Women's Super League's player of the year. "I see it as an Erasmus because I will go back to Spain. It's a bit of an adventure," says Caldentey. "I wanted to learn to adapt to a different game... The first year has gone by very quickly -- I've really enjoyed it but I still have a lot to do. "Getting out of your comfort zone is always a challenge and helps you develop. The English league is a different kind of football, more physical, with lots of turnovers of possession, and open." Caldentey scored 21 goals and set up 16 more for Arsenal last season and that has led to suggestions that she may usurp compatriots Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati for the women's Ballon d'Or. Putellas and Bonmati have shared the Ballon d'Or over the past four seasons and are the the main obstacles to Caldentey being honoured at September's gala event in Paris. "Obviously it's an honour and a privilege to have your name mentioned for such a big award, but right now what I have to do is play well at the Euros," says Caldentey.
