CRY FOR DIOGO JOTA: Football star killed in car crash, leaving world mourning, funeral on Saturday in Portugal

What lamps ceased to burn, what hearts ceased to beat, how life can be cruel. In the tragic death of 28-year-old football star Diogo Jota, killed in a Lamborghini car crash in the wee hours of Thursday in Spain, the world of football weeps, mourns, beats chest in agony.

The Portugal football star and also an icon at Liverpool has been seen as one of the most magical footballers with a massive following. And, yet, when he was killed with his brother, Andre Silva, the tragedy is indescribable. The horrible car accident occurred on the A-52 road in Zamora, north-western Spain and was caused by a “burst tyre while overtaking,” according to Spain’s Guardia Civil. From videos seen, the high-speed car veered off the road and then went up in flames. What is left behind are charred remains of metal.

Jota needs no content, images of him wedding Rute Cardoso, his long-time life partner last week in a church wedding within the last fortnight made for great viewing. Blessed with three children, the couple had taken the vows.

Yet, who would have known, in such a short span of time, life would cripple the world of football. This is one of the most heart-wrenching stories of a football star who is being mourned not just in Liverpool or Portugal but the world over. There are people leaving bunches of flowers in tearful memoires at Anfield, Liverpool with messages penned of massive emotions. After all, Diogo Jota had featured as a big star for Liverpool, winning them the Premier League. More recently, the late star had also featured for Portugal as they won the Nation’s League against Spain.

There have been some horrible stories doing the rounds as well, that Jota had been partying before the accident. That is factually incorrect, as verified by the football star’s respiratory physio Miguel Goncalves. Not all fans would know, despite Jota's on-field exploits for Liverpool, where he scored 65 goals and won them five big trophies, he was dealing with a medical condition called pneumothorax, which is a collapsed lung. Jota had bravely played with this condition, and was risking his life. He had been avoiding high-risk surgery as well. In the final hours before he was killed, Jota had been working with his physio Miguel Goncalves.

It’s going to be one long farewell for Diogo Jota, whose funeral will start today in Sao Cosme, Portugal, at 3pm. He will be finally lowered into the coffin at Igreja Matriz de Gondomar , half an hour from his home city of Porto. This was the same place he had got married recently in the presence of family and friends.

According to official sources, Jota and his brother were on their way back to England, via a ferry. Due to his compromised lung condition, he had been advised against flying. Yet, who would have known, well before his journey by a ferry, he would be transported to heaven in the most cruel and cursed manner.

There are massive investigations on as to how the green Lamborghini tyre burst as it is believed Jota was trying to overtake on the high-speed highway, known as freeway abroad. Technical details on the car, it’s a sports model which is robust and safe. How the tyre burst happened is going to become a hot topic, since these cars are meant for high speed.

One look at accidents and deaths, sports lovers would be reminded only in Formula One, drivers are at the wheels of speed demons every single day as part of their job. When Brazilian racing legend Ayrton Senna was killed in a tragic car crash on May 1, 1994, in San Marino, Italy, his steering wheel column speed collapsed. It led to an uproar, after which F1 has become more ‘safe.’ In motor racing, every moment is a game of death. Who would have imagined, Diogo Jota, who is not supposed to fly due to his lung condition, would breathe his last on a highway? Cruel fate, this.