Diogu Jota recently got married. This was reported by Euro-football.ru.
This news echoed across all news pages. However, the most painful words were not those.
The worst part was realizing that he had three children. Now this was not his biography, but an epitaph written for his life.
Diogu Jota passed away. In the province of Zamora, Spain, a Lamborghini veered off the road, flipped over, and caught fire.
His brother Andre was also in the car; he was also a footballer, just less known, a midfielder from Portugal's second division. They were trying to overtake a car in front when a tire burst, leading to flames and debris.
Diogu and Andre were 28 and 26 years old, respectively. Only the car's license plate remained of them, not even a body left to embrace one last time.
Sometimes football can be just a game, but sometimes it can be as deep as the love between Diogu and Rute. They met when they were 13, but Diogu was too afraid to approach her, so it took months to gather that courage.
Then he played for "Pasush," was loaned to "Porto," had a contract with "Atletico," played for "Wolverhampton," and finally achieved his dream - "Liverpool." All his achievements were tied to Rute.
On June 22, 2025, 15 years after their first love began, Jota posted a photo from their wedding ceremony on social media with the caption "Yes, forever." But 11 days later, he closed his eyes to the world.
All of this happened during a trip because Diogu could not fly. He had recently undergone surgery on his lungs, and doctors advised him to travel by car to England.
He and his brother were heading to the port of Santander, from where they planned to take a ferry to Portsmouth and then reach Liverpool, but none of this came to pass. Diogu Jota was not a star in the tabloids.
He had no distinctive hairstyle, nor did he spread rumors about relationships with pop stars. He was a simple and good person.
His simplicity was like bread - baked in the morning, sold out by lunchtime. At "Liverpool," he was like the second violin in an orchestra, but capable of taking the lead in a quarter of the game.
His goals were not spectacular, but they were always important. His favorite goal was against Arsenal.
When Nuno Tavares made a wrong pass, Jota deceived the defenders and precisely slid the ball into the open space. It was as calm as playing in the courtyard of Gondomar.
He always aimed to be effective rather than to show off. This was a greatly undervalued talent – to be necessary rather than visible.
When the car caught fire, they had only a few seconds, but it was not enough. Life is not like in the movies; a hero does not emerge from the flames gasping for breath.
Rescuers found them, but identification was only possible through the remains of the car's license plate. Jota is no longer here.
Throughout his life, he put his family first. He did not fly, but he did not leave his brother behind.
He set out on the road with him and died together. The world of football is silent.
This is not indifference; it is powerlessness. Ask yourself, what do you say to a widow in a white dress a week ago?
What do you say to the children left with the constant question, "Where is your dad?" What do you say to a coach who had planned for the next season?
You can say nothing. You can only stand in silence or lay flowers in front of "Anfield" stadium.
Because there is no other way to honor the memory. Jota humanized football.
He stood out with kindness, humility, ambition, and love. He was a player, a husband, a brother, a father.
All of this was at once. Now all of this has vanished.
In an instant, unceasingly, forever. At the end, there is silence, a wedding photo where he is holding Rute's hand and smiling.
He was still alive. Below is the caption: "Yes, forever." This is painful because no one knew that the word "forever" would end within eleven days.
According to Transfermarkt, Diogu Jota's statistics at the clubs he played for are as follows: 18 goals and 14 assists in 47 games for Pasush de Ferreira; 9 goals and 7 assists in 38 games for Porto; 44 goals and 19 assists in 131 games for Wolverhampton; and 65 goals and 26 assists in 182 games for Liverpool. Photo: Globallookpress.com Author: Arman Tigranyants
