Diogo Jota's physiotherapist has strongly denied rumours that the Liverpool footballer had been partying before the fatal crash that killed him and his brother Andre in Spain.
Miguel Goncalves, who had been treating Jota for a collapsed lung, said he last saw the striker at around 8.30pm on Wednesday evening, just five hours before the tragedy.
"To be clear, Diogo and Andre weren't partying at all, they weren't in the so-called 'good mood' life, they had nothing that deserved any repair. Nothing," Goncalves told Portuguese outlet Record.
The respiratory physiotherapist described Jota as an "unparalleled professional" who was "excited, confident in his recovery and enthusiastic" about the upcoming season.
Diogo Jota's physiotherapist has strongly denied rumours that the Liverpool footballer had been partying before the fatal crash that killed him and his brother Andre in Spain
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He revealed the brothers planned to drive at night because it was cooler, with a scheduled stop at a hotel in the Burgos area.
The 28-year-old footballer and his younger brother died when their acid green Lamborghini Huracan crashed on the A-52 motorway near Cernadilla, approximately 10 miles from the Portuguese border.
The accident occurred at around 12.35am on Thursday morning when a tyre reportedly blew out whilst the supercar was overtaking another vehicle.
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Liverpool fans have been paying tribute to Diogo Jota outside Anfield
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The £180,000 vehicle, which has a top speed exceeding 200mph, left the road, rolled and burst into flames, also igniting surrounding vegetation.
Emergency services were called to the isolated stretch of highway, about an hour west of Zamora, but both brothers died at the scene, according to Spanish government official Ángel Blanco.
Police are investigating the cause of the crash and have not yet determined who was driving at the time of the accident.
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Goncalves explained that Jota had been suffering from a pneumothorax, or collapsed lung, which required surgery after Portugal's Nations League victory against Spain earlier this month.
The striker had delayed the operation since May to continue playing, with Goncalves noting that "the base of his right lung had collapsed a little, but with the post-surgery physiotherapy he was practically flawless."
Medical professionals had advised Jota against flying following the procedure, prompting the decision to travel by road to catch a ferry from Santander to Plymouth.
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"They were only supposed to arrive in Santander today, catch the boat and then go to England," Goncalves continued.
Jota's funeral will begin tomorrow with a wake at 3pm in São Cosme, followed by the funeral service at 10am on Saturday at Igreja Matriz de Gondomar, near his home city of Porto.
The tragedy occurred less than two weeks after the footballer married his childhood sweetheart Rute Cardoso on June 22 in a Catholic ceremony attended by family and friends.
Diogo Jota joined Liverpool in 2020 and helped them win the Premier League this seasonPAIn his final Instagram post on Wednesday afternoon, Jota had shared wedding footage and described himself as "the luckiest man in the world" to be Rute's husband.
Liverpool FC said the club is "devastated" by the tragedy, describing it as an "unimaginable loss" for Jota's family, friends and fans.
Supporters have been laying flowers and tributes outside Anfield, with many visibly emotional as they paid their respects to the former Wolves and Porto star.
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