WHAT HAPPENED?
Jota, 28, and his brother Andre, also a professional footballer, both died shortly after midnight on Thursday when the vehicle they were travelling in came off the motorway in the municipality of Cernadilla, in the province of Zamora in the north west of Spain. Spain’s Civil Guard told the BBC the brothers were travelling in a Lamborghini, which left the road and caught fire due to a tyre blowout while overtaking.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Witnesses, who called Spain’s emergency services, told the media they saw the car burst into flames, which spread to nearby vegetation. Jota, 28, married his partner Rute Cardoso on June 22. The couple had three children. The Liverpool forward’s brother Andre, aged 26, was also a professional footballer. He played for Portuguese second division side Penafiel.
JOTA’S LIVERPOOL CAREER
Jota, 28, joined Liverpool from Wolves in 2020 in a £41m transfer. He scored 65 goals in 182 appearances for the Reds. He scored six times last season to help Arne Slot’s side win the Premier League title. He also lifted the FA Cup, Community Shield and the Carabao Cup twice with Liverpool. Jota played 49 times for Portugal and last month featured in the UEFA Nations League final victory over Spain. He married his partner Rute Cardoso on June 22. The couple had three children.
