Liverpool and Portugal star Diogo Jota was likely speeding when his car veered off a motorway in Spain last week killing him and his brother, Spanish police said on Tuesday.
The shock deaths of Jota, 28, and Andre Silva, 25, on Thursday last week plunged the soccer world into mourning, less than two weeks after the striker had got married.
An ongoing investigation is examining “the marks left by one of the vehicle’s wheels ... everything points to a possible excessive speed beyond the road’s speed limit,” the Spanish Civil Guard said.
Photo: AP
Speed limits on Spanish motorways are generally 120kph. The site of the crash on the A-52 in the northwestern province of Zamora was on a stretch of fairly straight road approaching a bend.
The Civil Guard had previously said a tire had probably blown out while the vehicle was overtaking, causing it to crash and burst into flames.
“All the tests conducted so far indicate that the driver of the vehicle was Diogo Jota,” it added on Tuesday.
Hours before the incident, Jota had posted a video of his June 22 wedding to partner Rute Cardoso, with whom he had three children.
Portuguese and British media reported Jota was driving to the northern Spanish port of Santander to take a ferry to England for the start of Liverpool’s pre-season training, avoiding a flight on medical advice after a recent lung operation.
Political leaders as well as star players from Portugal and Liverpool joined family and friends at the funeral on Saturday in the Porto suburb of Gondomar.
A site of remembrance has been set up at Liverpool’s Anfield where fans and former players have laid a sea of flowers, shirts, scarves and pictures.
Following spells at Atletico Madrid, Porto and Wolverhampton Wanderers, Jota became a fan favorite at Liverpool after joining in 2020.
He netted 65 times for the Reds in five seasons, lifting the League Cup and FA Cup in 2021-2022 and helping them win a record-equaling 20th English league title last season.
The striker also earned 49 caps for Portugal and helped them win this year’s UEFA Nations League.
Younger brother Andre played in midfield for Penafiel in Portugal’s second tier.
Liverpool returned to training on Tuesday for the first time since Jota’s death, having postponed the start of their pre-season preparations last week.
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