DIOGO JOTA won every major honour in English football with Liverpool before a car crash cruelly cut short his life.
But the pain of Jota’s death will also be felt particularly hard at Wolves, where he played a key role in the club’s transformation, as well as in his native Portugal.
RexDiogo Jota tragically died alongside his brother in a car crash in Spain[/caption]
fk.felippekatiaJota married long-term partner Rute Cardoso on June 22[/caption]
Jota and Rute have three young childrenfk.felippekatia
Instagram: Rute CardosoJota and Rute were together for 12 years[/caption]
Instagram: Rute CardosoThey were childhood sweethearts and met during high school[/caption]
Instagram: Rute CardosoRute regularly shared updates from their happy life together with their children[/caption]
Instagram: Rute CardosoRute always supported Jota from the stands[/caption]
FC PortoJota’s brother Andre, pictured together in their younger days at Porto, also died in the crash[/caption]
The versatile forward was part of the squad that won a second Nations League title last month.
Jota’s sudden death at the age of 28, along with brother and fellow footballer Andre in an horrific accident, is heartbreaking.
Because Jota was not only a highly gifted footballer, he was also one of the good guys.
An intelligent, thoughtful man, who spoke English better than some natives and who dedicated himself to his family and his career.
In the last fortnight, Jota had married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso, with whom he had three children.
They were heartbreakingly pictured with their two young sons, Dinis and Duarte, and baby daughter, whose name is unknown, at the wedding.
Jota and Rute were childhood sweethearts having been together for 12 years since meeting in high school.
The couple had posted scenes from their wedding day just hours before Jota’s tragic crash, calling it a “day we will never forget.”
After tying the knot in a church in Porto, Jota said: “I’m the lucky one.”
Rute’s social media shows pictures of the couple growing up together, with Jota going from teenager to globally-renowned sports star.
PAThe location on the A-52 in Zamora, Spain where Jota and his brother died[/caption]
Jota’s classy act of humility left me and my U13s team stunned – he was a credit to his family and football
I CAN’T claim to have known Diogo Jota particularly well, writes Graeme Bryce.
A few post-match interviews, grabbed in mixed zones at Molineux and other grounds.
One or two one-to-one interviews while he was with Wolves.
The odd passing nod of the head, handshake, brief cordial greeting if we happened to cross paths.
But a few things stood out about the Portuguese striker.
His friendly nature, his humility and his kindness shone through.
He never treated the media as the enemy as so many modern players do.
He was genuinely pleased to share his thoughts with journalists. He was utterly charming.
I remember him apologising to me for his poor English when we chatted on the pitch after Wolves Europa League tie against Crusaders in Belfast in 2019.
I told him, as a Scot, I should be apologising to him because his use of the language was a lot better than mine!
I asked him how he had become so fluent, so quickly.
He just shrugged and said: “In Portugal, we teach English in school from an early age. I’m not special.”
But he was special. A special player. A special human being.
I’ve coached kids football teams for all of my adult life and my Under-13s had reached a local cup final.
It was a big deal for the boys and we wanted to make it a big occasion for them, knowing for many of them, this would probably be as good as it got.
We were a village team – Premier League scouts weren’t exactly flocking to our games in search of the next Diogo Jota.
I asked Diogo if he would be kind enough to send a short video message to the lads, wishing them luck in their first ever final.
He graciously agreed and we showed the team his personal video message in the dressing-room before kick-off.
That was nice of him – especially as we went on to win the final 3-2 against a club we’d never beaten before.
A couple of weeks later I bumped into Diogo at Wolves’ Compton Training Ground.
“How did your boys do in the final?” he asked me.
He was genuinely pleased when I joked that his words of encouragement made the difference between winning and losing.
I couldn’t believe such a superstar would even remember giving a few seconds of his time to a bunch of kids he’d never even met.
But it summed up the man for me – a true gentleman and a credit to himself, his family, his club, his nation and to the game of football.
Football can be a cut-throat business at times but Diogo Jota was proof that nice guys do win sometimes.
The game will be so much poorer without him and my thoughts are with his family and friends following the loss of Diogo and his brother Andre.
RIP legend.
In helping Liverpool win the Premier League title last season, Jota completed the full set of domestic trophies after the Reds lifted the FA Cup and League Cup in 2021/22.
Although injury and competition for places restricted Jota’s contribution, he still scored key goals as Arne Slot’s side claimed a record-equalling 20th English championship.
What turned out to be the last of his 65 strikes for the Reds was the only goal in the Merseyside derby at Anfield in February.
It was typical Jota. While Everton defenders hesitated, the small but strong Portuguese forward bustled on to the ball, beat two men and buried the ball in the net.
Jota had bumps in the road before reaching the top of the game with Liverpool and Portugal.
After making his debut for Pacos de Ferreira at the age of 17, he moved to Atletico Madrid at 19.
Shutterstock EditorialJota won the Premier League with Liverpool last season[/caption]
Jota also recently won the Uefa Nations League with PortugalGetty
PATeam-mates and fans have been left devastated by the news[/caption]
But he soon went on loan to Porto, where he did well enough to attract the attention of ambitious Wolves, who were then in the Championship.
In his first season in England, he scored 17 league goals to fire the club back into the Premier League as champions.
Jota was a popular member of the dressing room which featured a strong Portuguese contingent.
He held his own in the top flight, but there was some surprise when Liverpool signed him in a deal worth up to £45m.
Yet in his five seasons at Anfield, he played an important role in the Reds’ potent front four as the club claimed English honours and went close to European glory.
Jota was not only a highly gifted footballer, he was also one of the good guys. An intelligent, thoughtful man, who spoke English better than some natives and who dedicated himself to his career and family.
Jota scored 21 times as Jurgen Klopp’s side hunted down a Quadruple in 2021/22, winning the domestic cups, taking the title race to the final day and losing the Champions League final to Real Madrid.
His total of 65 goals in 182 appearances does not tell the full story of his contribution on and off the field. After coming close more than once, it was special for Jota finally to lift the Premier League trophy in May.
For Portugal, Jota was part of a generation that delivered glory.
He was uncapped when selected in the squad for the Nations League final stages on home soil in 2019 and did not feature, making his debut later in the year.
Jota would go on to score 14 in 49 appearances for his country. His last was as an extra-time substitute in last month’s Nations League final against Spain, which Portugal won on penalties.
That triumph was part of what was surely the best year of Jota’s life.
For it to have ended, in such terrible circumstances, is incomprehensible.
fk.felippekatiaJota’s heartbreaking final post before the accident that took his life was a scene from his wedding[/caption]
Jota will also be fondly remembered at Wolves where he helped transform the club before joining Liverpool in 2020Reuters Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
