Thursday, July 3rd would be regarded as a black day for the football world following the tragic death of Portugal and Liverpool forward, Diogo Jota, who passed away just two weeks after he married his childhood girlfriend, Rute.
The prolific 28-year-old attacker was on his way to Liverpool for pre-season training when his car was involved in a ghastly accident alongside his younger brother Andre, in Spain, killing both footballers.
According to Spain’s Guardia Civil, Jota’s Lamborghini left the road due to a tyre blowout while overtaking another car in the Zamora Province of Spain, a small town of just a hundred people, leaving the community in a state of shock.
The tragic accident occurred around 00:30 local time (23:30 BST/11:30 pm Wednesday Nigerian time). The car was then set on fire immediately after the crash, leaving no survivors.
BBC Sport reported that the Portuguese had recently undergone surgery and was advised against flying by doctors. As a result, he was left with no other option than to drive from Porto to Santander to catch a ferry to England for pre-season training due to begin on Monday.
“This is understood to involve him travelling by car from Porto to get a ferry from Santander in northern Spain,” the report said. Zamora, close to the Portuguese border, is around 190 miles from Porto, and a similar distance from the port. It is understood that Jota had completed the journey in reverse to get to Porto for his wedding.
Unfortunately, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers star and his brother Andre failed to make it to their destination, leaving the world of football in total sadness, with tributes pouring in from Portuguese national team and football stars, including Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as Liverpool’s bitter rivals, Everton, Manchester United, as well as Manchester City, amongst others.
The Portuguese forward played a crucial role in Liverpool’s Premier League-winning campaign last season, having previously featured for Wolverhampton Wanderers and Porto.”
As the world mourns the Jota brothers, this publication remembers some other football players who passed away in tragic circumstances, from Emiliano Sala to Antonio Reyes. This list is arranged in no particular order.
Emiliano Sala, 1990 – 2019
The Argentine striker was born on 31 October 1990 and died on 21 January 2019 in an ill-fated flight from France to Wales. Sala had just left his former club in Nantes and was heading to his new club, having just become Cardiff’s record signing, at £15m, when his plane crashed.
Cardiff, who were battling relegation, had already paid the transfer fee for the Argentine, with the hopes that Sala would rescue them from Premier League relegation, but unfortunately, Sala never arrived; they were eventually relegated by just two points in the 2018-19 season.
Sala’s body was found two weeks after the crash. Sadly, the pilot, David Ibbotson’s body has never been found, according to The Guardian UK.
The death of Sala was riddled with a lot of controversy, which opened up a series of ongoing legal battles between both clubs and the parties involved. Reports revealed that Willie McKay, the agent who served as a go-between in Emiliano Sala’s transfer, was involved in organising the tragic flight to Cardiff.
The private plane used for the journey was unlicensed, and the pilot, 59-year-old David Ibbotson, did not have the proper certifications. He wasn’t licensed to fly commercially, wasn’t qualified to fly at night, and his clearance to operate the single-engine Piper Malibu aircraft had expired.
“McKay, himself, was neither registered as an intermediary in England nor as an agent in France at the time of Sala’s death. However, he was acting for Nantes alongside his agent son, Mark, who stood to earn 10% of any transfer fee Nantes made if Sala was sold to a UK club,” The Guardian wrote.
Meanwhile, football’s governing body, FIFA, the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the Swiss Federal Tribunal rejected Cardiff’s claim that they should not be liable for the transfer fee because Sala was not officially their player when he died.
Cardiff City has filed a commercial lawsuit against Nantes, seeking over £100 million in damages. A final decision on the case is expected later this year.
Jose Antonio Reyes
The former Spanish international was famous during his time at Arsenal, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Benfica, and Sevilla, where he played as both a forward and a midfielder alongside Robin Van Persie, Thierry Henry, among other top names.
Born in Utrera, Spain, Reyes began his professional career with Sevilla before making a high-profile move to Arsenal in 2004. He played a key role in Arsenal’s “Invincibles” season. He won multiple league titles and was admired for his skill on the wing.
Tragically, Reyes died in a car crash in June 2019 at the age of 35, cutting short a life and career that had much more to give. His death sent shockwaves through the football world, where he is remembered as a beloved figure and a brilliant footballer.
Christian Atsu
Born in Ada Foah, Ghana, Christian Atsu became popular in world football when he joined Chelsea in 2013 from FC Porto. Although the talented Ghanaian footballer was celebrated for his speed and dribbling, he struggled to break into Chelsea’s first team.
Atsu was shipped out on loan and impressed at clubs like Vitesse, Málaga, Everton, and Newcastle United, where he became a fan favourite. He was also a key player for Ghana’s national team, earning over 60 caps and starring in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, where he was named Player of the Tournament.
His life was tragically cut short on February 6, 2023, after an earthquake collapsed his apartment in Antakya, Hatay, Turkey.
Following the earthquake, Hatayspor initially announced that Christian Atsu had been rescued with injuries. However, the club later retracted that statement, revealing that his whereabouts were still unknown.
Atsu was missing and was found dead two weeks after an intense search under rubble. His death shocked the football world and left a legacy of both talent and kindness, remembered by many for his generosity off the pitch as much as his brilliance on it.
Confirming his death, his agent, Nana Sechere, who has been in Hatay, wrote on X(formerly Twitter), “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to announce to all well-wishers that sadly Christian Atsu’s body was recovered this morning.
“My deepest condolences go to his family and loved ones. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their prayers and support.”
The former Chelsea star’s body was flown back to Ghana for burial. According to the BBC, the earthquake and aftershocks in southern Turkey and northern Syria are known to have killed more than 40,000 people.
Cheick Tioté:
Cheick Tioté was without doubt one of the big names to have come out of the Ivorian national team that produced the likes of Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure, Salomon Kalou, among other top stars.
The tough-tackling Ivorian midfielder is best known for his time at Newcastle United and for scoring a memorable equaliser in a 4–4 draw against Arsenal in 2011.
Born on June 21, 1986, he began his career in Belgium before moving to FC Twente, where he won the Dutch league in 2010. Tioté earned over 50 caps for Ivory Coast and was part of their 2015 Africa Cup of Nations-winning squad.
Tragically, he died on June 5, 2017, after collapsing during training at the age of 30 in China, where he played for the Chinese second-tier side Beijing Enterprises.
The Ivorian’s bond with Newcastle appeared to be unbreakable, as the Premier League club kept in touch with his family. His son, Rafael Tiote, was a mascot for The Magpies at St. James’ Park against Arsenal in the English League Cup semifinals.
The match came exactly 14 years to the day Rafael’s father scored his only goal for the club, which turned out to be one of the most famous Premier League goals — an 87th-minute volley from long range to complete Newcastle’s comeback from 4-0 down to draw 4-4 against Arsenal.
Newcastle defeated Arsenal 2-0 in the semis and went on to defeat Liverpool in the final, in March, to win their first major trophy for 56 years.
