Diogo Jota's generosity was evident when he reached a financial agreement with Liverpool team-mate Luis Diaz. Tragically, the 28-year-old Portugal international died in a car accident in northwest Spain early on Thursday morning.
His younger brother, Andre Silva, also a professional footballer, died alongside Jota near the province of Zamora. The brothers were in a Lamborghini that veered off the road and caught fire after a tyre burst while overtaking another vehicle. Tributes have poured in from the sporting world, with several of Jota's Liverpool team-mates, including Stefan Bajcetic and Darwin Nunez, posting messages on social media.
Former team-mate Naby Keita and Jota's previous manager Jurgen Klopp also paid their respects online. Jota was not only recognised for his exceptional football skills but also for his character, something Diaz became aware of when he joined Liverpool in January. The Colombian winger transferred to the Reds in the 2022 winter window from Porto, where Jota had spent a season on loan in 2016/17 and also grew up.
Before becoming team-mates, Jota and Diaz were landlord and tenant, as Diaz had been renting Jota's house in Porto. "He rented the house I'd lived in when I played for Porto," Jota revealed in 2023 to FourFourTwo. Jota's touching revelation about his generous actions following Diaz's move to England underscores the warmth and grace he carried as an individual. "He was paying me rent, then he ended up playing with me, and I often still bring that up during our conversations.
"He arrived in January and had a contract with me until July, but because he was going to be my team-mate, I let him out of the contract!" Diaz's arrival in the mid-season brought fresh impetus to Liverpool's ambitious charge for a quartet of trophies.
However, their dreams ultimately yielded two pieces of silverware, as they came second in the league to Manchester City and were denied Champions League glory by Real Madrid. "When Luis arrived in England, he was really important for us with the energy he brought to the team in the latter stages of that season, when we nearly won everything," said Jota.
"Two trophies wasn't bad, but it could have been a story forever. I really think that if we had won the Premier League, we would have won the Champions League. We could have written football history, especially in English football." In light of his tragic death, Liverpool released the following statement: "Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota.
"The club have been informed the 28-year-old has passed away following a road traffic accident in Spain along with his brother, Andre. Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request the privacy of Diogo and Andre's family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss. We will continue to provide them with our full support."