Spanish police have released new details into the tragic car crash that killed Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his younger brother, André Silva.
The 28-year-old Portuguese international and his 25-year-old brother died in the early hours of Thursday morning on the A-52 motorway in the municipality of Cernadilla, Zamora, in northwestern Spain.
Now, in a new statement shared on Tuesday (July 8), the police have indicated that “all the evidence so far” points to the football star being behind the wheel at the time of the fatal accident.
Authorities said, per Sky News: “All the tests carried out for the moment point to the driver of the crash vehicle being Diogo Jota,” adding that the vehicle appeared to be “significantly exceeding the speed limit for the highway.”
In their statement, the Civil Guard in Zamora confirmed the accident happened at 12:30AM local time (11:30PM Wednesday BST), and that “among other things, the marks left by one of the vehicle's wheels are being examined.” The expert police report, once finalised, will be submitted to the Puebla de Sanabria court for further investigation.
According to a previous statement given to Sky Sports News by the Civil Guard: “A vehicle left the road and everything indicates a tyre burst while overtaking. As a result of the accident, the car caught fire and both people were killed.”
Jota, who had married his long-term partner, Rute Cardoso, just 11 days prior to the tragedy, was travelling from Portugal to Santander to take a ferry back to England to report for Liverpool’s pre-season, following medical advice not to fly after minor surgery.
The accident site, which showed scorched grass and wreckage, has since become a point of grief for fans, with many highlighting that the A-52 near Zamora has been described as a “real danger” and “full of potholes” in the past.
Jota joined Liverpool from Wolves in 2020 and quickly became a fan favourite at Anfield.
The club expressed its devastation, stating: “Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota. Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request the privacy of Diogo and Andre's family, friends, team-mates and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss. We will continue to provide them with our full support.”
A wake for the brothers was held on Friday in Gondomar, near Porto, followed by their funeral on Saturday, where Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk and Scotland defender Andy Robertson carried floral tributes reading “20” and “30” in honour of Jota and André Silva.
Manager Arne Slot, part of the Liverpool delegation, described the “sense of shock as absolute,” while former boss Jurgen Klopp admitted: “This is a moment where I struggle. There must be a bigger purpose, but I can’t see it.”
Meanwhile, Liverpool stars - including Mohamed Salah, Andrew Robertson, and new signing Jeremie Frimpong - have returned to pre-season training just days after attending the funeral, with Salah admitting, per The Mirror: “I am truly lost for words. Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break. Team mates come and go but not like this.
"It’s going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won’t be there when we go back.”
The tragedy came just as Jota and Cardoso had tied the knot and were preparing to continue life as a young family with their three children. Tributes have since poured in from teammates, fans, and football clubs, with floral memorials laid outside Anfield, the AXA Training Centre, and at Wolves’ Molineux Stadium.
At the football academy in Gondomar where Jota once played, a large picture now stands showing him in Portugal’s colours and the yellow of his childhood club, ensuring he is remembered by the community that shaped him.
As the investigation continues, the final police report will seek to determine the exact cause of the crash, including whether speed and a tyre burst were responsible for the tragedy that has left the football world mourning one of its brightest talents.
Our thoughts continue to go out to every person impacted by this tragedy.