Tragic aftermath of Diogo Jota Lamborghini ‘fireball’: Charred remains of supercar after it crashed when ‘tyre burst while trying to overtake car’ – killing Liverpool star, 28, and his brother
This is the tragic aftermath of the devastating crash that killed Liverpool star Diogo Jota after his Lamborghini careered off a road in northern Spain.
The Portuguese forward died in the early hours of Thursday morning while he was travelling in the supercar near Zamora with his fellow footballer brother Andre Silva, 26, who was also killed in the crash.
Jota was on his way to Santander to catch an overnight ferry back to the UK in time for the start of Liverpool’s pre-season training on Monday after he was advised not to fly following lung surgery, it was reported in his home country today.
His untimely death at 28, which has sent shockwaves around the world, comes just 11 days after the father-of-three married his childhood sweetheart in what he emotionally described just yesterday as ‘a day we will never forget’.
The Lamborghini’s tyre is believed to have blown out while overtaking on the A-52 by the town of Cernadilla, near Zamora in northwestern Spain, close to the border with Portugal.
The supercar came off the road, rolled and then burst into flames just after 12.30am (11.30pm UK time) on Thursday. The emergency services were called but the brothers could not be saved and are said to have been identified by the vehicle’s number plate.
Shocking footage shows the charred remains of the supercar flipped over on the side of the main road, with emergency crews seen investigating nearby.
Video obtained by Spanish media shows the car’s trajectory until it left the road and crashed into a fireball. Tyre marks show where the Lamborghini veered off the road, while broken parts of the green bonnet and the central reservation can be seen strewn across the ground.
The Prince of Wales, who is also the President of the FA, said he was ‘deeply saddened’ to hear of Jota’s death, adding: ‘Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and all who knew him.’
Meanwhile, Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo – who celebrated winning the Nations League alongside Jota less than a month ago – said the star’s death ‘makes no sense’, adding: ‘We will all miss you.’
Jota had just married Rute Cardoso, the mother of his three children, and described himself as the luckiest man in the world to be her husband, sharing moving footage of their wedding day in his final Instagram post on Wednesday afternoon.
The couple married on June 22 in Porto, the footballer’s home city. Rute shared more wedding day pictures in a social media post yesterday and said: ‘My dream come true.’ Jota replied in the comments: ‘I’m the lucky one.’
This is the tragic aftermath of the devastating crash that killed Liverpool star Diogo Jota after his Lamborghini careered off a road in northern Spain
Diogo Jota (right with his wife) was tragically killed in a car crash alongside his brother Andre (second from left)
Shocking footage shows the trajectory the car took before it came off the road and burst into flames
Diogo Jota had married his childhood sweetheart Rute Cardoso, the mother of his three children, in the last fortnight. Here they are pictured on their wedding day
Pictured is the remains of the green Lamborghini that Jota and his brother were driving in
This is the scene of the crash after the fatal accident. Tyre marks can be seen where the supercar veered off the road
A lorry drives past the scene of the crash, where tyre marks are visible from where the Lamborghini careered off the busy road
The happy couple with their children Denis, Duarte, and a daughter born in 2024, whose name has not been revealed
Diogo and Rute leave the church on June 22. They later said on social media that they had both said: ‘Yes to forever.’
Jota described himself as the luckiest man in the world in an interview released yesterday after the couple walked down the aisle in Portugal
The couple have three children, pictured on the Anfield pitch in May after winning the Premier League
It’s understood he was headed to Santander to catch a ferry to the UK after being advised not to fly following lung surgery. Liverpool’s pre-season training is due to begin on Monday.
CNN Portugal said medics told the Liverpool star he shouldn’t catch a plane after the surgery.
The channel’s sports editor Rui Loura said today live on air: ‘The surgery he had had was lung surgery and he had been advised against flying following this.
‘He was on his way to the northern Spanish port city of Santander to cross the ferry and reach the UK that way and carry on with the car once he reached Britain. He was on his way to Liverpool with his brother.’
The Lamborghini crash happened on the A-52 in the province of Zamora. The Spanish road 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 morning. Diogo and Andre’s deaths were confirmed by the Portuguese Football Federation.
‘The 1-1-2 Castilla y León operations room received several calls reporting a vehicle accident at Km. 65 of the A-52, in the municipality of Cernadilla, Zamora. A car was reported to have been involved in an accident and the vehicle was on fire,’ a statement read.
‘1-1-2 notified the Zamora Traffic Police, the Zamora Provincial Council Fire Brigade, and the Sacyl Emergency Coordination Center (CCU) of this accident.
‘From there, a Medical Emergency Unit (UME) and the Primary Care Medical Staff (MAP) from the Mombuey Health Center were sent, who confirmed the death of two people on the scene’.
The number plate on the Lamborghini was reportedly key to identifying the brothers. A spokesman for the Civil Guard in Zamora said he wasn’t in a position to say who was driving the car that crashed, but that they believe ‘the car suffered a blowout from the marks on the road.’
They added: ‘At this moment in time it is impossible to say at exactly what speed the car was going but that is something the Civil Guard investigators will be able to detail at least approximately in their final report from things like the skid marks.
‘What I can confirm is that no other vehicle was involved and no-one else was hurt.’
The Lamborghini was travelling in the direction of Benavente in the neighbouring province of Leon but it is not yet clear exactly where the men were heading.
The Portuguese national football team have said they are ‘devastated’ by the death of Liverpool forward Diogo, adding that he ‘was not only a fantastic player with almost 50 caps for the national team, but also an extraordinary person who was respected by all his teammates and opponents’.
His death was confirmed by Pedro Proenca, head of the Portuguese Football Federation.
He said in a statement: ‘The Portuguese Football Federation and all of Portuguese football are completely devastated by the deaths of Diogo Jota and André Silva, this morning, in Spain.
‘Much more than an amazing player, with almost 50 internationalizations for the National A Team, Diogo Jota was an extraordinary person, respected by all teammates and opponents, someone with an infectious joy and a reference in the community itself.