Jota lost his life in the early morning of 3rd July in a crash involving his Lamborghini Huracan, with his brother Andre Silva, who was seated beside him, also losing his life. ..Continue Reading
Jota, who was set to celebrate his 29th birthday on Thursday, was making his way back to England with his brother after undergoing a lung procedure. Unfortunately, their vehicle experienced a tyre failure while overtaking en route to their ferry in Santander, veering off the road and catching fire.
The ex-Liverpool attacker is survived by his wife Rute Cardoso and their three children. His passing was especially tragic as he had wed his longtime partner Rute just 11 days before the incident.
Shortly after the crash, it was revealed that he had been in contact with Alvaro Cerqueira, president of Gondomar SC, shortly before the accident occurred.
Jota began his football journey with Gondomar at the age of nine, with Andre joining him not long after.
Speaking to JN soon after the news of Jota’s death, Cerqueira shared: “It was just after 10pm last night [Thursday], we were on the phone and he was fine.
“We spoke almost every week, and I know he was going through a happy moment. When Diogo needed to train during the off-season, he would ask to come here, and we would always make everything available.
“His brother would usually come too, and they would both train. It is difficult to talk at a time like this, but what will remain is the image of two very humble people, who leave a huge void.”
Jota spent eight years developing at his local club before being signed by Pacos de Ferreira in 2013.
A few years later, Atletico Madrid brought him on board, and it wasn’t long before he made his way to the English Premier League.
Andre, while not reaching the same professional level, also made the most of his time at Gondomar.
In fact, he joined Porto’s youth setup a couple of years before Diogo left Gondomar, indicating that scouts had spotted his potential early.
Even more than ten years after moving on from his boyhood club, Jota maintained strong ties with those who had supported his early development. His continued connection to Gondomar speaks volumes about his loyalty and humility.
This sentiment is shared by Monica Ferreira, a Wolverhampton resident who owns Aromas de Portugal, Jota’s go-to café in the Midlands.
She described the former Wolves player as a grounded and kind individual who remained modest despite his fame.
“I opened my coffee shop and he was one of the first customers,” she said. “Myself, I don’t know too much about football, so I didn’t know him in the first place. My husband, when he saw him, recognised him.
“He was a normal customer. He was very polite, very humble as well, like everyone knows. And he was very nice with everyone. After his first visit to the coffee shop, he was a regular. Every time he could come to the coffee shop, he was coming with his wife.
“We did some dinners with [former Wolves midfielder] Ruben Neves as well. They were very friendly. Really nice people. Everyone is devastated with the news.”
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