Liverpool and Portugal star Diogo Jota was likely speeding when his car veered off a motorway in Spain last week, killing him and his brother, Spanish police said on Tuesday.
The shock deaths of Jota, 28, and Andre Silva, 25, on July 3rd plunged the football world into mourning, less than two weeks after the striker had got married.
An ongoing investigation is examining “the marks left by one of the vehicle’s wheels… everything points to a possible excessive speed beyond the road’s speed limit”, the Civil Guard said.
“All the tests conducted so far indicate that the driver of the vehicle was Diogo Jota,” it added.
The force had previously said a tyre had probably blown out while the vehicle was overtaking, causing it to crash and burst into flames in the northwestern province of Zamora.
Just hours before the accident, Jota had posted a video of his June 22nd wedding to partner Rute Cardoso, with whom he had three children.
The deaths sparked an outpouring of grief, particularly in the brothers’ native Portugal and at Jota’s Premier League club Liverpool.
Political leaders as well as star players from Portugal and Liverpool joined family and friends at the funeral on Saturday in the Porto suburb of Gondomar.
Following spells at Atletico Madrid, Porto and Wolverhampton Wanderers, Jota became a fan favourite at Liverpool after joining the Premier League giants in 2020.
He netted 65 times for the Reds in five seasons, lifting the League Cup and FA Cup in 2021/22 and helping them win a record-equalling 20th English league title last season.
The striker also earned 49 caps for Portugal and was part of the team that won this year’s UEFA Nations League.
Younger brother Andre played in midfield for FC Penafiel in Portugal’s second tier.
