Diogo Jota had a private phone call with a friend hours before his untimely death. The soccer player tragically passed away in the early hours of July 3rd when his Lamborghini Huracan collided, also killing his younger brother Andre Silva, who was riding in the passenger seat. Jota, who would have celebrated his 29th birthday today (Thursday), was returning to the UK with his brother after undergoing lung surgery when he suffered a puncture while overtaking on the way to the ferry in Santander.
The car skidded off the road and was later engulfed in flames. The former Reds star leaves behind his wife Lute Cardoso and three young children. The tragedy of Jota’s death is compounded by the fact that he had married his long-time partner Ruthe just 11 days earlier. It was later revealed that Jota had spoken to Gondomar SC president Alvaro Cerqueira on the phone shortly before the accident. Jota started his career with Gondomar when he was just nine years old, and his younger brother Andre followed soon after.
In an interview with JN after Jota’s death was confirmed, Cerqueira said: “I spoke to him on the phone last night (Thursday) after 10pm and he was fine.
“We talked almost every week and I know he had happy moments. When Diogo needed training during the off-season, he asked to come here and we always had everything ready.
“Normally his brother would come and we would train together. It’s hard to talk at a time like this, but all that remains is these two very humble faces who have left a huge void.”
Jota spent eight years developing at his hometown club before being scouted by Pacos de Ferreira in 2013. Just a few years later, Atlético Madrid secured his contract, and a final call-up to England’s first team came soon after.
His younger brother Andre drew heavily on his experience at Gondemar. In fact, a few years before Diogo left Gondomar, he also joined Porto’s youth team.
More than a decade after leaving his hometown team, Jota continued to keep in touch with the people who helped him in his career. It’s a testament to this man’s character that even 20 years after he first joined Gondomar, he remains connected to his roots.
This view is supported by Wolverhampton local Monica Ferreira, who runs Jota’s favorite coffee shop, Aromas de Portugal, in the Midlands. She hailed the former Wolves talisman as a humble hero who had little air or class despite his star profile.
“I opened a coffee shop and he was one of my first customers,” she told Mirror Football. “I don’t know much about soccer myself, so I didn’t know about him in the first place. My husband saw him and recognized him.
“He was just a regular customer. As we all know, he was very polite, very humble, and very kind to everyone. After his first visit to the coffee shop, he became a regular. Whenever he could come to the coffee shop, he would come with his wife.”
“I also had dinner with (former Wolves midfielder) Ruben Neves. They were very friendly. Really nice people. Everyone is devastated by this news.”
