Diogo Jota, the celebrated Portuguese soccer star who recently won the English Premier League with Liverpool Football Club, has been killed in a car crash, authorities said Thursday.
The club issued a statement saying it was “devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota.”
The Guardia Civil confirmed in a statement that the 28-year-old star and his brother, André Silva, 25, also a professional soccer player, died after their car crashed in the Zamora region at 12:30 a.m.
“In the absence of a conclusion of the experts evidence, everything points that a car left the road, due to a tire blowout while overtaking,” the police said. The car caught fire and both vehicle occupants were killed by the accident
“Far beyond being an exceptional player, with nearly 50 caps for the national team, Diogo Jota was an extraordinary person, respected by all teammates and opponents, someone with a contagious joy and a reference within his own community,” it said.
