Diogo Jota thought to have been driving at high speed before fatal crash, Spanish police say | OneFootball

Diogo Jota is thought to have been driving when he and his brother Andre Silva died in a car crash last week, Spanish police have said.

The Liverpool footballer and father-of-three was killed alongside his brother, also a footballer, after the £180,000 acid green Lamborghini they were travelling in burst into flames following a suspected tyre blowout last Thursday night in Zamora, Spain.

A spokesperson for the Guardia Civil of Zamora said that tests being carried out by its traffic division showed Jota was driving the car at the time.

The spokesperson added that the car was thought to be travelling above the speed limit on the road, which local media reports is 120kmph (74mph).

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General view of the crash site where Liverpool FC player Diogo Jota and his brother lost their lives, showing the wreckage of the Lamborghini Huracan (Getty Images)

In what is only the Civil Guard’s second statement since the fatal crash, the spokesperson said: “The expert report is being carried out and finished, where, among other things, they are studying the marks (tread) left by one of the wheels of the vehicle.

“Everything also points to a possible high excess of speed over the permitted speed of the road.

“All the tests carried out for the moment point to the fact that the driver of the vehicle was Diogo Jota.”

The report has not yet been finalised but will be handed over to the court in the town of Puebla de Sanabria, Zamora.

Jota and Silva were found dead after the car crashed on the A-52 in Palacios de Sanabria near the city of Zamora at 12.40 am on Thursday.

Pictures of the aftermath of the crash showed debris scattered along the side of the road, including what appeared to be charred parts of the vehicle.

Footballers, family and fans gathered for the funeral of the brothers, which took place in their native Portugal on Saturday.

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Diogo Jota's wife Rute Cardoso and her sister react as pallbearers carry the coffin (AFP via Getty Images)

Jota's long-term partner Rute Cardoso, whom he had married just 11 days before the accident, was in attendance, as were his parents.

Tributes poured in from around the world, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Oasis and Cristiano Ronaldo among those who mourned the loss of the brothers.

The devastated family and friends of Jota and his brother Andre Silva gathered for a moving funeral on Saturday, two days after their tragic deaths.

Dozens of stars and high-profile figures from across the footballing world arrived for a sombre service in Gondomar, near Porto, tears flowing as they bade goodbye to the brothers. The service took place in the same church where Jota was married just two weeks earlier.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot said after Jota’s death that the “sense of shock is absolute” for the club.

“Diogo was not just our player. He was a loved one to all of us,” he said. “I could say so much about what he brought to our team but the truth is everyone who watched Diogo play could see it. Hard work, desire, commitment, great quality, goals. The essence of what a Liverpool player should be.”