Rute Cardoso, the widow of former Liverpool and Wolves footballer Diogo Jota, has revealed the last message she sent to him before his fatal car crash. In a new biography, she recounts texting him to ask him to call her so she could show him their wedding video, unaware he had already crashed.
The 28-year-old Portuguese international died on July 3 last year when the rented Lamborghini Huracan he was driving crashed on the A-52 motorway in Spain. His older brother Andre Silva also died in the accident. The couple had married just 11 days earlier, on June 22, in Porto.
In an excerpt from the book, titled 'Nunca Mais e Muito Tempo' (Never Again Is a Long Time), Cardoso describes how she became worried when Jota did not respond to her messages. She began calling hotels, hospitals, and police before eventually learning of the crash through a relative with contacts in the Spanish traffic police.
The biography, written by former footballer Jose Manuel Delgado, includes contributions from Liverpool manager Arne Slot, former boss Jurgen Klopp, Portugal manager Roberto Martinez, and several players. Cardoso also insists that Jota was not obsessed with flashy cars or expensive watches, unlike many other footballers.
The book is set to be released in Portugal on April 9. Publisher Cultura Editors describes it as a 'deeply emotional and respectful work' that pays tribute to Jota's life and legacy, both as a player and as a man.
