Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre, died in a car crash on Thursday and tributes have flooded in, including a particularly poignant one from Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa
Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa has been left ‘speechless’ after good friend Diogo Jota tragically died aged 28 in a car crash. The Liverpool star and his brother, Andre, were killed in the early hours of Thursday morning near Zamora in northwestern Spain.
It was only last Friday, June 27, that Jota had been at Sa’s wedding. The pair got to know each other while playing together at Porto during the 2016-17 season and later the Portuguese national team, celebrating two Nations League titles together.
Sa, 32, married actress Raquel Jacob at a castle in the Portuguese city of Braga, with Jota in attendance. On Saturday, Jacob told her 62,000 Instagram followers: “Yesterday we lived the most magical day of our lives. A perfect day, filled with love, smiles, happy tears and tight hugs.
“Thank you to everyone who has been with us, near and far – every presence, every gesture and every word made this moment even more special. We will forever cherish this day in our hearts.”
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After Thursday’s devastating news broke, Sa shared an image of the forward and his brother from their Porto days on Instagram. As the caption, the Woves shot-stopper simply wrote: “Speechless.”
Tributes flooded in throughout Thursday, with Jurgen Klopp, Sir Kenny Dalglish and multiple Liverpool players among those to pay their respects with public messages of condolence. Liverpool’s CEO of football, Michael Edwards, and Richard Hughes, the club’s sporting director, wrote a joint message to supporters.
“There is nothing that we can say in this moment to ease the pain of such a devastating tragedy. We all feel utterly bereft right now,” they said. “In such heartbreaking circumstances, it is our responsibility to acknowledge the collective grief we are experiencing, to pay tribute to our Diogo, and to offer unwavering support to his family who remain our absolute priority at this time.
“Diogo’s wife, Rute, their three beautiful children, his parents and wider family are facing an unimaginable loss. This tragic accident has taken not only Diogo, but also his brother, Andre Silva. We mourn them both equally. We must respect the family’s privacy and give them the space to grieve in whichever way they need.
“Of course, we – his Liverpool family – are also struggling to come to terms with what has happened. As his teammates, friends and colleagues, we are consumed by shock and sorrow. We know our supporters, his national team, former clubs and teammates and the wider football community share in this grief. This is a tragedy that transcends Liverpool Football Club.
“In the coming days, we as a club will look to honour our beloved number 20 with the respect and affection he so richly deserves. We will strive to make these tributes meaningful and inclusive of our supporters, to whom Diogo meant so much.
“For now, we express a love that is filled with deep sorrow and pain. We have lost someone truly irreplaceable. Rest in peace, Diogo.”
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