Spanish court rules no criminal liability in fatal Diogo Jota car crash

Jack Otway
Fri, 24 Apr 2026 13:55:29 +0000

A Spanish court has ruled that no criminal liability exists in connection with the fatal car crash that claimed the lives of former Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his younger brother Andre Silva last summer.

The siblings died on 3 July 2025 when their Lamborghini left the A52 motorway close to Cernadilla in northern Spain.

Investigators established that a tyre blowout occurred as the vehicle was overtaking another car, causing it to strike a central barrier and catch fire.

The High Court of Justice in Zamora province concluded after examining all evidence that criminal proceedings were not warranted.

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The case was dismissed last November following consultation with road traffic collision specialists.

"The dismissal of the criminal proceedings does not preclude the possibility of the affected parties bringing a civil action to claim whatever they deem appropriate," a source from the Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Castilla y Leon told The Athletic.

The brothers had been travelling by road to the port city of Santander, where Jota planned to board a ferry bound for the UK ahead of Liverpool's pre-season preparations.

Medical professionals had advised the striker against flying following lung surgery he underwent earlier that summer.

Just 11 days prior to the devastating accident, Jota had wed his childhood sweetheart Rute Cardoso in a ceremony at a church in Porto, Portugal.

Both siblings had come through the Porto academy system, with Silva pursuing his own professional career in football.

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At the time of his death, the younger brother was playing for FC Penafiel in Portugal's second division.

A funeral service took place two days after the tragedy at a chapel in Gondomar, overlooking Porto, where both brothers had developed as young players.

Liverpool's squad attended the ceremony, with captain Virgil van Dijk carrying a wreath shaped like a football shirt bearing Jota's number 20 into the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar.

Andy Robertson, a close friend of the Portuguese forward, brought a wreath displaying the number 30 that Silva had worn at his club.

The Merseyside club subsequently retired Jota's number 20 across all their teams.

FSG, Liverpool's owners, pledged to support Rute and the couple's three children, confirming they would honour the remainder of his contract, reportedly valued at approximately £140,000 weekly and due to expire in 2027.

Supporters from both Liverpool and Wolves paid emotional tributes to the forward when the two clubs met in the Premier League last December, with two of Jota's three children serving as mascots for the fixture.

Rute expressed her gratitude to both sets of fans following the match.

"From the bottom of my heart, thank you to the club and to all the fans for the love, respect and support shown during this incredibly difficult time," she wrote on Instagram.

"Your messages and gestures have meant more than words can express."

Liverpool fans have continued honouring their former player by singing his song during the 20th minute of every home match this season.

Jota scored 10 goals as Liverpool secured their 20th league championship under Arne Slot.