Liverpool star Mohamed Salah 'will cut his holiday short' after tragic death of team-mate Diogo Jota - with Reds players set to return for pre-season on Tuesday
The football world has been launched into mourning after the Liverpool star died on Thursday alongside his brother when his Lamborghini had a tyre blow out while overtaking another vehicle on the A-52 at Cernadilla near Zamora - just ten miles over the border from Portugal.
The car is said to have rolled and burst into flames, with emergency services unable to save the footballing duo. Jota's brother, Andre Silva, 26, played for Portuguese second division side Penafiel.
Jota and Silva were headed to Santander to catch a ferry to Britain after Diogo was advised not to fly following lung surgery, it was reported in his home country. Liverpool are due to start pre-season training on Tuesday, so Jota was heading back to the UK on a road trip with his brother less than two weeks after he married his childhood sweetheart Rute in his home city of Porto on June 22.
Arne Slot's Premier League champions set to report for training on July 8. Some of the players are still on holiday - and Jota is understood to have been on his way back to Liverpool when he crashed.
Now, according to Egyptian publication Yallakora, Salah is said to be set to return to England on Friday after the news of Jota's death.
Salah and Jota played together 150 times for Liverpool, combining for 19 goals in total in terms of one assisting the other.
The Egyptian is the player who Jota played alongside the second-most in his career - the first being Ruben Neves.
Salah has been enjoying a summer break after winning the Premier League and Golden Boot last season with Liverpool in a year that saw him score 34 goals in all competitions.
According to Turkiye Today, he has been relaxing in Bodrum, Turkey, while he was also seen on holiday in Mombasa, Kenya, and in Mykonos, Greece. He has shared a number of photos from his break on social media.
Doctors reportedly advised the Jota not to catch a plane after a recent operation, so he was getting a boat instead. A Brittany Ferries service from Santander to Plymouth left at 4pm BST on Thursday, arriving in Devon at 11.15am on Friday.
According to Record, Jota and new wife Rute attended a friend's wedding over the weekend and had been celebrating together before the star made his way back to Liverpool to kick off the new season.
The lamborghini crash happened on the A-52 in the province of Zamora. The Spanish dual carriageway is a key route taken by drivers after leaving northern Portugal as they head for the ports of Santander and Bilbao or drive north-east towards France.
Emergency services in the Castilla and Leon region confirmed the crash and two fatalities at around 12.35am on Thursday. Diogo and Andre's deaths were then confirmed by the Portuguese Football Federation at around 8am.
Wreckage at the scene suggested the brothers were driving to the UK in a Lamborghini Huracan Evo Spyder.
Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz are among the current Liverpool players to have paid tribute - as well as former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
Klopp reacted to the tragic news on Instagram, paying tribute to a 'great friend' and 'fantastic player'.
'This is a moment where I struggle! There must be a bigger purpose! But I can't see it,' Klopp wrote.
'I'm heartbroken to hear about the passing of Diogo and his brother Andre.
'Diogo was a not only a fantastic player, but also a great friend, a loving and caring husband and father! We will miss you so much!
'All my prayers, thoughts and power to Rute, the kids, the family, the friends and everyone who loved them!
'Rest in peace - Love J'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Rhyl Journal
an hour ago
- Rhyl Journal
Trent Alexander-Arnold pays tribute to ‘amazing man' Diogo Jota
Liverpool forward Jota died along with his brother, Andre Silva, following a car accident in Spain on Thursday. Alexander-Arnold is currently at the Club World Cup in the United States with new side Real Madrid having left Anfield at the end of their title-winning 2024-25 season. Speaking after Real's quarter-final victory over Borussia Dortmund in New York on Saturday, Alexander-Arnold told DAZN: 'Some things are bigger than the game. 'It has been difficult but it's been very emotional, very heart-warming to see the footballing world uniting and come together to show their love and support to him and his family, and obviously his brother as well. 'So although it's been difficult, it's also been a nice showing out from everyone, all clubs, all people, uniting and showing love and support for what must be a mind-blowingly hard time for the family. 'I've been in and around him and his brother, his family, his amazing wife, his parents, his amazing three children. 'It's truly, truly heartbreaking to wake up to news like that. It's something that you would never, ever expect. 'He was a very close friend, someone who lit up a room when he was in it. I shared the dressing room (with him) for five years (and have) amazing memories on and off the pitch with him. 'It goes without saying he will never be forgotten by anyone. He will live long in all our memories for the amazing man and player he was.'
Rhyl Journal
an hour ago
- Rhyl Journal
Liverpool squad bid emotional farewell to Diogo Jota at team-mate's funeral
A service for the 28-year-old father-of-three, who married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso almost a fortnight ago, and his brother Andre Silva was held at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar church in their home town of Gondomar, near Porto, following their deaths in a car crash on Thursday. Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson each carried a floral tribute in the shape of a red shirt bearing the respective numbers of the two brothers. Head coach Arne Slot and the majority of the squad were present, as were Michael Edwards – the man who signed Jota from Wolves in 2020 when he was sporting director and is now chief executive of football for owners Fenway Sports Group – current sporting director Richard Hughes and head of physiotherapy Lee Nobes, who would have spent many hours with the player during his injury lay-offs. Goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who was unable to attend his own father's funeral due to Covid restrictions four years ago, is on international duty with Brazil and so could not be present but posted a poignant message on Instagram which read: 'Usually, I post things that make sense, but today, nothing makes sense! 'Once again, an ocean separates me from 'saying goodbye' to someone I love! But I know that I am well represented by my club mates! 'To you, my friend Rute, just know that you will never walk alone, we will be with you as soon as possible!' Many of Jota's former team-mates also attended, including ex-Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, who on Friday laid flowers at the makeshift shrine outside Anfield, James Milner, Thiago Alcantara, who signed in the same transfer window as Jota, Caoimhin Kelleher, Fabinho and former Wolves and Portugal team-mate Joao Moutinho. Manchester City's Portuguese duo Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias and Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, another international colleague, were also there, while his best friend Ruben Neves was a pallbearer, having flown in from Florida after playing for Al-Hilal in the Club World Cup on Friday night. Jota's former Wolves boss and now Nottingham Forest head coach, Nuno Espirito Santo, also attended. 'I can't even imagine the pain of the family, of Rute, of the children, of the parents,' Silva told Portuguese broadcaster TVI. 'I must talk a little about Jota, who was a great friend to all of us. His career, although not the most important thing, speaks for itself. 'More important than that, as a person, the memories that remain. Jota will remain in our hearts forever. He will always be present at all breakfasts, lunches, dinners, national team gatherings, PlayStation or card games. 'It is a very tough episode for all of us, because we spent a lot of time together. The memories I have with him are fantastic. These happy memories will remain, he will be present in every victory. 'We were rivals and team-mates for many years. He became a great friend. He was present at my wedding. Unfortunately, I wasn't at his, because I was at the Club World Cup. It is a family that will always be with us and that we will try to preserve.' Players from Penafiel, the team for whom Jota's brother played, also attended. A wake was held on Friday for the pair before the coffins were carried into church on Saturday morning followed by mourners, led by Jota's wife and family. After the service, which was broadcast to hundreds standing outside, they were taken to the cemetery next to the church for a private ceremony. A seventh-day mass will be held on Wednesday. Jota's national team manager Roberto Martinez, who was also in attendance, said: 'They are really sad days, as you can imagine, but today we have shown we are a very large, but close family. 'It was essential for us that, (with) Andre Silva and Diogo Jota, we are together and we will always be together and their spirit will be with us forever. 'Thank you very much for your messages, for your support and everything that we have received (from) all over the world. It means a lot and today we are all one football family.' Reports in Portugal say Liverpool have committed to paying out the remainder of Jota's two-year contract to his family. Tributes continue to be left at Anfield, where Everton manager David Moyes and assistant Alan Irvine laid flowers on Saturday with the message: 'With heartfelt sympathy, from David Moyes and everyone at Everton Football Club.' Manchester City-supporting brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher paid their own tribute at Oasis' comeback gig at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on Friday night when, during the final bars of Live Forever, a picture of Jota was displayed to cheers and applause.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Dua Lipa puts on a very risqué display in a black mesh dress as she continues lavish holiday in Europe
Dua Lipa put on a racy display as she shared a a carousel of pictures to social media while on holiday in Spain on Saturday. The pop superstar, 29, is currently soaking up the sun on a European getaway with her newly-confirmed fiancé, British actor Callum Turner. In her latest Instagram photo dump, the singer gave fans a peek into her sun-soaked travels. Dua made a bold statement in a black lace maxi dress that hugged her jaw-dropping figure. The singer, who is a keen dancer and enjoys yoga and resistance training, showed off her enviable figure in the gorgeous ensemble. The see-through dress revealed Dua's matching underwear underneath, which she rocked with complete confidence. Dua puffed on a cigarette while boasting a dewy glow as she dazzled for the stunning pictures and referencing the door number above her in the pictures, captioning the post: 'My lucky 22 that follows me everywhere'. Fans flocked to her comment section to praise the brunette beauty on her incredible pictures with one writing: 'A truly ICON!!!!' whilst another said 'so cute and beautiful'. It comes as Dua has also been quietly rocking a giant sparkler on her finger for months, but only confirmed her engagement to Callum in a recent Vogue interview. The hitmaker admitted she never saw herself as the marrying type, saying: 'I've never been someone who's really thought about a wedding, or dreamt about what kind of bride I would be.' It comes after some fans have been poking fun at the pop star's jet set lifestyle. The singer who is with the The Boys in the Boat actor Callum Turner, 35, often shares her glamorous vacations with her followers and shows the tow of them traveling the world. Despite currently being in Spain, most recently, the pair headed to Italy, where they were spotted soaking up the sun on a stunning beach. But by documenting her lavish trips online, some users have cracked jokes about her nonstop traveling. Many have even wondered where she and Callum would go for their honeymoon since the couple had already been 'everywhere.' Some even joked that she might take it to the next extreme and head to space. Taking to X they wrote: 'This girl has already traveled all over the world, where are they going for their honeymoon to make it memorable? Mars?' 'Their honeymoon is gonna be three years long', 'For their honeymoon, they will discover Atlantis', 'LMAO right?!? Girl has literally been EVERYWHERE' 'Pre-honeymoon in Mount Everest, main honeymoon on Mars, [and] post-honeymoon in Titanic wreckage'. Dua is well-aware of the travel jokes and previously made a statement about it with British Vogue. 'I'm not always on holiday, I just make everything I do feel like a holiday,' she told the outlet last month. Elsewhere in the interview, Dua discussed her family plans, saying she's concerned about how having children will fit in with her career as a pop star. 'I'd love to have kids one day,' she said. 'But it's like the constant question of when would there ever be a good time – how it would fit in with my job and how it would work if I went on tour, and how much time out I'd have to take. 'I think it's just one of those things that's going to happen when it happens. I love kids, but I think there's so much more to raising a child than just loving children.' Confirming her engagement to Callum, Dua said: 'Yeah, we're engaged. It's very exciting. 'This decision to grow old together, to see a life and just, I don't know, be best friends forever - it's a really special feeling.'
