Spanish authorities suggest Diogo Jota was driving at time of fatal crash

New Delhi, July 8 (IANS) Following the devastating accident which claimed the lives of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva and left the footballing world in mourning, Spain’s Guardia Civil have revealed that investigations have led them to believe that it was the Liverpool forward who was driving the car.

Jota and Silva passed away in a car accident on Thursday. The accident took place around 12:30 am local time in the Spanish province of Zamora. According to the Spanish police, Jota’s car veered off the road while driving. A tyre blowout caused the car to lose control and catch fire.

Guardia Civil’s statement, issued through the Zamora branch of the Guardia Civil and its traffic division, read, “The expert report is being carried out and finished, where, among other things, the tread marks left by one of the wheels of the vehicle are being studied.

“Everything also points to a possible high excess of speed over the permitted speed of the road. All the tests carried out for the moment point to the fact that the driver of the crashed vehicle was Diogo Jota.”

Their funeral took place on Saturday in the Portuguese town of Gondomar at the Matriz de Gondomar church, located 33 kilometres from Porto.

Earlier on Tuesday, Liverpool began their pre-season training as players returned to the AXA Training Centre on Tuesday, five days after the tragic passing away.

A few of the players were expected to report back to the club on Friday, but the tragic news saw them delay their plans. The Liverpool squad, led by Virgil Van Dijk and head coach Arne Slot, were present at Jota’s funeral to pay their respects.

Jota, 28, was a key figure for both Portugal and Liverpool. Since joining the club in 2020 from Premier League side Wolves, he helped them win major trophies, including the Premier League, FA Cup, and two EFL Cups. I

For Portugal, Jota earned 49 caps and netted 14 goals. He was part of the squad that lifted the UEFA Nations League title in 2019 and again in 2025, when Portugal defeated Spain in the final. The forward had celebrated that victory with his teammates just weeks ago.

--IANS

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