Liverpool star Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva tragically died in a car accident this summer
Diogo Jota playing for Liverpool
Liverpool star Diogo Jota tragically died earlier this year(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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Diogo Jota was under medical advice to avoid flying when the Liverpool star and his brother Andre Silva tragically died in a car accident. The brothers lost their lives in July due to a tyre blowout near the Spanish town of Zamora.
Jota, who would have celebrated his 29th birthday today (Thursday 4th December), had enjoyed several months of celebration before his untimely death. He had been instrumental in Liverpool's Premier League title success and had revelled in Portugal's Nations League victory. Beyond football, he had married Rute Cardoso just 11 days prior to the fatal crash.
Jota was accompanied by his younger sibling Silva, 25, who was also a professional footballer playing for Liga Portugal 2 side Penafiel, during their fateful journey. The brothers were traveling to the UK so that Jota could report for Liverpool's pre-season training-,Liverpool%20have%20taken%20the%20decision%20to%20postpone%20the%20start%20of,of%20Thursday%20(July%203).).
Jota has been advised against flying back to England following lung surgery. The Liverpool striker and his brother had intended to reach the northern Spanish port of Santander, with a planned overnight stay in Benavente, before boarding a ferry to Portsmouth.
"The surgery he had had was lung surgery and he had been advised against flying following this," CNN Portugal's Rui Laura explained in July. "He was on his way to the northern Spanish port city of Santander to cross the ferry and reach the UK that way and carry on with the car once he reached Britain. He was on his way to Liverpool with his brother."
The Liverpool squad met for pre-season training just days after Jota's heartbreaking death. The club described his passing as "an unimaginable loss" in an official statement released at the time.
A tribute to Diogo Jota and Andre Silva
The footballing world paid tribute to Liverpool's Diogo Jota and Penafiel's Andre Silva following their deaths
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The football community honoured both Jota and Silva throughout the summer with a series of tributes that showed just how much he was loved, both at Liverpool and by the general public. In touching words last month, Andy Robertson couldn't have emphasised that any better.
The Liverpool full-back admitted to being overwhelmed by thoughts of his late friend before helping Scotland secure World Cup qualification.
"I've hid it well, but today I've been in bits. I know the age I'm at, this could be my last chance to go to the World Cup," Robertson said after the match. "I couldn't get my mate Diogo Jota out of my head today. We spoke so much together about the World Cup.
Diogo Jota celebrates scoring for Liverpool
Jota scored 65 goals in 182 games for Liverpool
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"He missed out on Qatar [2022 World Cup] because of injury, and I missed out because Scotland weren't in it. I know he will be somewhere smiling over me tonight.
"I couldn't get him out of my head the whole day. I was in a bit of trouble in my room earlier. I think I hid it well from the boys and I'm so glad it ended up this way."