Diogo Jota was playing through the pain of a collapsed lung so he could help Portugal beat Spain in the Nations League before his tragic death, his physio has confirmed
11:10, 04 Jul 2025
Diogo Jota
(Image: Getty Images)
Diogo Jota's physio has revealed that the forward had been courageously playing through a previously undisclosed condition known as pneumothorax, or a collapsed lung, in the weeks leading up to his tragic death.
Miguel Goncalves confirmed that Jota had put off surgery for the issue, driven by his determination to help Liverpool secure their second Premier League title and to participate in Portugal's Nation's League match against Spain in June, which Portugal won in a penalty shootout.
Despite struggling with the condition, the 28-year-old saw Mr Goncalves just five hours before the fatal car crash in Zamora, Spain, that claimed the lives of both Jota and his younger brother Andre.
The brothers had planned to drive to Santander to catch a ferry to England, opting for an evening journey due to the cooler weather.
Mr Goncalves recounted the poignant moment he bid farewell to Jota and his brother Andre: "I said goodbye to him and his brother, Andre, at around 8:30pm.
The car accident happened in the northwestern city of Zamora, Spain
(Image: AP)
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"His brother was a great companion and decided to go with him, to accompany him on the trip, and that way they would also spend more time together. They were going to travel at night because it was cooler, but they weren't going direct."
The funeral service for Jota is set to begin on Friday, with a wake scheduled for 3pm in São Cosme.
The funeral will take place at 10am on Saturday at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar, located half an hour from Jota's hometown of Porto, where he had married his childhood sweetheart Rute in a Catholic ceremony just two weeks prior.
Tributes are laid for the forward at Anfield, where Liverpool play
(Image: Getty Images)
In an interview with Portuguese outlet Record, Mr Goncalves, who primarily works at a hospital in Porto, stated: "Diogo was very aware of his professionalism. They were only supposed to arrive in Santander today (Thursday), catch the boat and then go to England.
"The family would arrive later by plane, organise their lives over the weekend and then, on Monday, they had a medical appointment scheduled in Liverpool to assess the situation," reports the Mirror.
As a father of three, Jota was advised against flying due to potential health risks. Instead, he opted for the Brittany Ferries service from Santander, which was scheduled to arrive in Plymouth, Devon, this morning.
Jota pictured (far right) with his wife Rute and younger brother Andre, who played in the Portuguese second tier
(Image: Diogo Jota Instagram)
Mr Goncalves praised Jota's professionalism, which was evident in his decision. He also expressed his disgust at reading baseless and disturbing rumours on social media suggesting Jota had been partying before the crash.
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The physio clarified: "I've read some things on the internet that are regrettable, and I've even heard some in the media. To be clear, Diogo and Andre weren't partying at all, they weren't in the so-called 'good mood' life, they had nothing that deserved any repair. Nothing."