Spanish judicial authorities have concluded that there is no evidence of criminal liability in the car accident that killed footballer Diogo Jota and his younger brother Andre Silva.
After a long period of uncertainty, the investigation into one of the most tragic events in recent football history has come to an end.
The accident occurred on July 3, 2025, on the A-52 highway near Cernadilla in northern Spain, when their Lamborghini veered off the road while overtaking, hit a guardrail and burst into flames.
According to the findings of an investigation carried out by the High Court of Justice of Castilla y Leon, the cause of the accident was a tire explosion at a crucial moment, which led to the loss of control of the vehicle.
After a detailed analysis of all the evidence and with the assistance of traffic experts, the court concluded that there was no basis to initiate criminal proceedings. However, the family was left with the option of initiating a civil lawsuit.
The brothers were travelling to Santander at the time of the accident, from where they planned to take a ferry to the UK, where Jota was due to start pre-season training with Liverpool. Diogo was driving because he had been advised to avoid air travel following lung surgery.
Just 11 days before the accident, he married his long-time partner, Rute Cardoso, in Porto, which makes the whole tragedy even more touching.
Honors from the club and the football world
A joint funeral for the brothers was held in Gondomar, a town above Porto, where they both began their football careers. The entire Liverpool squad attended the funeral, with captain Virgil van Dijk wearing a wreath with the number 20, which Jota wore at the club. His close friend Andrew Robertson wore a wreath with the number 30 in honour of his brother.
Andre Silva was also a professional footballer and played for Penafiel after coming through Porto’s youth academy. Following the tragedy, Liverpool decided to retire Jota’s number 20 shirt for all ages. Fans have paid tribute to him throughout the season by singing his song in the 20th minute of every match at Anfield.
Family support
The English club also promised full support for his family, including his wife and three children, confirming that they would fully respect Jota’s contract until 2027. According to available information, the contract was worth around £140,000 per week.
A particularly touching moment occurred when two of his children entered the pitch to accompany the players at a match between Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers, where fans of both clubs paid tribute to the late footballer.
His wife later released an emotional message of gratitude. “A heartfelt thank you to the club and all the fans for their love, respect and support during this extremely difficult time.”
She added that these messages and gestures meant more to them than words can describe. In the season before the tragedy, Jota played a major role in winning the 20th Premier League championship, scoring 10 goals for the team managed by Arne Slot. Although the investigation has been completed, the pain of the loss of two young lives remains deeply present in the world of football.
