Darwin Nunez said he would always remember Diogo Jota’s smile as he paid tribute to his Liverpool team-mate following his death in a car crash at the age of 28.
Jota and his brother Andre Silva were killed when their car came off the A-52 motorway in the province of Zamora in north-western Spain. Despite emergency crews attending the scene, the pair were declared dead.
Tributes have poured in for Jota and Silva, an attacking midfielder for Portuguese second-tier side Penafiel, while Liverpool fans gathered at Anfield to pay their respects.
Nunez joined Liverpool in June 2022, just under two years after Jota, and they each claimed Premier League glory with the Reds this past season.
Jota had recently married Rute Cardoso and leaves behind three children.
In a post on Instagram, Nunez sent a heartfelt message to Jota’s young family.
He wrote: “There are no words to comfort you for so much pain. I will always remember you with your smile, as a good teammate on and off the field.
“I send all my strength to your family, from where I am sure he will always be with you, especially your wife and three children. RIP Diogo and Andre.”
Santos recalls Jota’s huge passion
Former Portugal coach Fernando Santos spoke to A Bola regarding his memories of Jota, to whom he gave his debut for the national team.
“At this point it’s even hard to talk about the footballer, because that’s not the most important thing,” Azerbaijan coach Santos said.
“He debuted with me at the age of 22. He was overshadowed by the best player in the world [Cristiano Ronaldo], but he always found his space.
“He had a huge passion for the national team. He couldn’t go to the World Cup in Qatar because he was injured, but he made a point of joining us.
“He was with the team during the training camp and came to our matches. That was his own initiative.
“I visited him in Liverpool when he was injured. It was a complicated moment for him, but I really enjoyed this conversation. Now I can only think about his family, his wife and the three children he leaves.”
Nuno Campos reduced to tears
Nuno Campos was one of Jota’s first coaches when he made the grade as a professional with Pacos de Ferreira.
Jota broke through in 2014, when Campos was working as an assistant at Pacos.
Now the head coach at Hungarian side Zalaegerszeg, Campos was left extremely emotional upon learning of the tragic news.
“I received the news this morning, when I was getting ready for training, and I was in shock. I couldn’t hold back the tears,” Campos told Sportinforma.
“They [his players] asked what was going on, they were dismayed. This loss shakes us all, but me even more, because I had a very close relationship with Diogo.”
Remembering Jota’s ascension to the Pacos first team, Campos added: “He arrived from juniors and quickly imposed himself for his humility, professionalism and willpower. He was a player who conquered everyone, not only for his talent, but also for the affection and respect he showed for everyone.
“I remember his smile, his intelligence on the field and his tireless dedication to reach the top. Like Cristiano Ronaldo, Diogo Jota got where he got through a lot of work and effort.”
“It’s a beautiful family, and this loss is impossible to accept. It hurts a lot to talk about this. I want to express my deepest sympathies to the whole family.”
