It comes almost 10 months on from the deaths of the two Portuguese footballers
A male athlete, dressed in a red jersey, celebrates with arms outstretched in a packed stadium.
Liverpool attacker Jota died along with his brother Andre Silva at the start of July after a car crash in Spain(Image: PA)
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A court has ruled there is no criminal liability relating to the deaths of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and brother Andre Silva following a car crash in July last year. Jota and his brother were killed in the early hours of July 3, with the 28-year-old Liverpool player driving the pair to England.
The Lamborghini Huracan carrying Jota and his brother veered off the road, bursting into flames. Following lung surgery, Jota had been cautioned against flying and was instead driving to Santander. The pair had intended to reach England on a ferry via Benavente. They were eventually set to dock in Portsmouth, but never arrived.
A police investigation concluded a tyre blowout occurred while Jota attempted to overtake another vehicle on the A-52, around 70 miles west of Valladolid. This then led to the car coming off the road around 12.40am and becoming engulfed in flames.
Firefighters and emergency services put out the fire but it was confirmed not long after the crash both occupants had died shortly after help had arrived at the scene.
Reports claimed the fire damage to the wreckage was so extensive that it initially hindered efforts to identify the two victims.
Discussing the brother's travel arrangements following Jota's operation, CNN Portugal's Rui Laura said: "The surgery he had had was lung surgery, and he had been advised against flying following this.
"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."
A Spanish court has now ruled there is no criminal liability after reviewing evidence from experts, The Athletic reports.
In a statement shared with the news outlet, sources from the Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Castilla y Leon said: "The Court of First Instance in Puebla de Sanabria dismissed the case last November after assessing the documentary evidence in the file and, in particular, the expert reports issued by the Civil Guard’s Traffic Unit.
"The dismissal of the criminal proceedings does not preclude the possibility of the affected parties bringing a civil action to claim whatever they deem appropriate."
The ECHO has approached the court for comment.
The Portuguese striker had just tied the knot with wife Rute Cardoso, 11 days prior to the devastating incident. The football community was left reeling by the sudden loss, with fans and fellow professionals from around the world paying their respects.
In the wake of her husband's death, Rute and her family relocated to her home city of Gondomar. However, the late forward's impact in Merseyside will never be forgotten as Liverpool FC have retired the number 20 shirt Jota made his own during his time at the club.
Diogo Jota and his wife Rute Cardoso
Diogo Jota and his wife Rute Cardoso(Image: Rute Cardoso/Instagram)
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After the news last summer, the ECHO visited Jota's native Gondomar to pay tribute to his legacy and hear about why he was such a treasured figure in both his home city and Liverpool.
We visited the family home where he grew up in the small row of houses off the Rua da Minhoteira. There his childhood friend, Cosme Oliveira, told us how brothers Jota and Silva never forgot their roots.
He said: "They both are the meaning of humble. The passion for football. They never lost their roots here. They never forgot this little town and what we represent. The good memories that we have with them here will always live."
Mr Oliveira was grateful for how hometown hero Jota was embraced by the people of Liverpool, as he told the ECHO: "You guys always received him well, so I think we all have to thank you for the way you welcomed our boy in your land."