The Prime Minister said the Portuguese footballer's passing was "devastating" during a press conference on Thrusday morning.
11:36, 03 Jul 2025Updated 11:43, 03 Jul 2025
Diogo Jota
Keir Starmer has paid tribute to Diogo Jota after the Liverpool footballer's death.
The Prime Minister said the Portuguese footballer's passing was "devastating" during a press conference on Thrusday morning.
Starmer said his "thoughts are with [Jota's] family and his friends".
The PM said: "This is devastating news. I'm sure I speak for everyone in saying our first thoughts are going to be with his family and his friends in particular.
"There are millions of Liverpool fans but also football fans and non fans who will be shocked by this.
"I think Liverpool Football Club have just put a statement out, as I understand it.
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"But it is devastating and it is really important that we bear in mind just how difficult a period it will be for his friends and for his family."
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It was announced on Thursday morning that Jota had died in Spain aged 28.
The Spanish civil guard said he was found dead alongside his brother, Andre Silva, after their car went off the A-52 in Palacios de Sanabria near the city of Zamora at 12.40am on Thursday.
The Zamora provincial council said the vehicle, which police said was a Lamborghini, “ran off the road and caught fire, which spread to the surrounding vegetation”.
Spanish media also reported that the car left the road due to a tyre blowout while overtaking.
Jota married his long term partner Rute Cardoso in Portugal on June 22, just 11 days before the accident.
Liverpool said the club was “devastated” by the news and that it was an “unimaginable loss”.
The Portuguese Football Federation also said it was “devastated” to learn of the deaths, adding: “Their deaths represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football.”
Police said no other vehicles were involved in the incident.
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