Rute Cardoso, the widow of former Liverpool and Wolves footballer Diogo Jota, has disclosed the last message she sent to her husband before his fatal car crash in Spain last July. In a forthcoming biography, she reveals she texted him unaware of the accident, asking him to pull over so she could share their wedding video.
The couple had married on 22 June last year, just 11 days before Jota, 28, died in a crash on the A-52 motorway in Cernadilla, near Zamora, while driving a rented Lamborghini Huracan. His older brother, Andre Silva, also died in the accident.
In the biography, titled 'Nunca Mais e Muito Tempo' ('Never Again Is a Long Time'), Cardoso describes how she messaged Jota: 'Love, when you stop, call me, because I have something here to show you.' She had just received their wedding video. The book, written by former footballer Jose Manuel Delgado, is due for release on 9 April in Portugal.
Cardoso, who has since moved back to Gondomar, Portugal, with the couple's three children, also insists Jota was not obsessed with flashy cars or expensive watches. 'Unlike most players, who like flashy cars, jewellery and watches, Diogo was never into that scene,' she says in an excerpt.
The biography includes contributions from Liverpool manager Arne Slot, former boss Jurgen Klopp, Portugal manager Roberto Martinez, and Manchester City stars Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva. Publisher Cultura Editors describes it as 'a deeply emotional and respectful work that pays tribute to the life and legacy of Diogo Jota, not only as an elite player, but also as a man.'
