Diogo Jota’s physio has opened up on the agonising decisions the Liverpool star made that ultimately led to his tragic death.
The Premier League champions and the world of football in large were in a state of shock and mourning on Thursday when it was confirmed that the 28-year-old and his younger brother, Andre Silva, had been killed in a car crash.
Jota had been driving across northern Spain with his sibling on a journey to board a ferry back to England, having been warned against flying due to the condition he had been suffering with.
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Respiratory physiotherapist Miguel Goncalves had been working with the former Wolves player just a matter of hours before the fatal incident took place.
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Jota finished last season playing through the pain barrier with a condition called pneumothorax which required surgery.
He was still able to take part in Portugal’s victorious Nations League campaign before he underwent the knife.
Despite the seriousness and potential complications of his condition, Jota had every intention of making a swift return to full fitness and was described as the ‘ultimate professional’ by Goncalves.
‘I said goodbye to him and his brother, Andre, at around 8:30 p.m. His brother was a great companion and decided to go with him, to accompany him on the trip, and that way they would also spend more time together,’ Goncalves, who works at Hospital São João, in Porto, told Portuguese outlet Record.
‘They were going to travel at night because it was cooler, but they weren’t going direct.
‘He told me that the journey would take about eight hours, but that they would stop at a hotel in the Burgos area to rest. Diogo was very aware of his professionalism. They were only supposed to arrive in Santander today, catch the boat and then go to England.
‘The family would arrive later by plane, organize their lives over the weekend and then, on Monday, they had a medical appointment scheduled in Liverpool to assess the situation.
‘I’ve read some things on the internet that are regrettable, and I’ve even heard some in the media. To be clear, Diogo and Andre weren’t partying at all, they weren’t in the so-called “good mood” life, they had nothing that deserved any repair. Nothing.’
Liverpool’s first team squad had been due to return to training next week with their first pre-season game, scheduled to take place against Preston, due to be played next week.
Goncalves continued: ‘I started working with him last Saturday and I was with him every day until this Wednesday. I said goodbye to him at dinner time.
‘He made an extraordinary recovery, he was undoubtedly an unparalleled professional. He strictly followed what I told him, as you could see in the way he was recovering.
‘The base of his right lung had collapsed a little, but with the post-surgery physiotherapy he was practically flawless. When I left him yesterday he was no longer in pain and was going to return to Liverpool.
‘He was excited, confident in his recovery and enthusiastic about the next season. He told me that he would not go on the pre-season tour that Liverpool is going to Japan to strengthen his recovery, he believed he was going to have a great season.’
