Rute Cardoso has spoken publicly about the heartbreaking passing of Diogo Jota in a newly released book that also features input from Arne Slot, Jurgen Klopp, and several other prominent figures in football.
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The late Diogo Jota’s wife is expected to disclose that she unknowingly sent him a message after his crash, telling the former Liverpool and Wolves forward she wanted to share
According to reports, Rute Cardoso will make this emotional revelation in the upcoming book, set for release next week, recounting her final interaction with her husband and father of three before learning of the devastating accident involving his £180,000 Lamborghini Huracan, in which he and his older brother Andre Silva lost their lives.
She is also said to emphasise that the 28-year-old, who died in the early hours of July 3 last year in a motorway crash in Spain while travelling toward Santander to catch a ferry to the UK, was not someone drawn to luxury cars or expensive accessories.
Diogo and Rute, who had been together since their teenage years, got married in a church ceremony in Porto on June 22 last year—13 years after they began dating and just 11 days before the fatal accident on the A-52 in Cernadilla near Zamora, close to Spain’s north-western border with Portugal.
The authorised biography, written by former footballer Jose Manuel Delgado and set to be released in Portugal on April 9, carries the title ‘Nunca Mais e Muito Tempo,’ which translates to ‘Never Again Is a Long Time.’
Speaking about the book on Portuguese television, presenter Isabel Figueira said: “What shook me the most when reading an excerpt from the book is the way Rute narrates the last messages she sends him, which Diogo never receives.
“She says she had just received the wedding video and she says ‘Love, when you stop, call me, because I have something here to show you,’ and it was this video.”
Rute, who has since returned to Gondomar near Porto with their children, is also believed to have explained how she began contacting the hotel where Diogo was expected to stay when he failed to reply, before reaching out to hospitals, the police, and eventually a relative who is a lorry driver with connections to Spanish traffic officers.
In another section of the book highlighted by Portuguese magazine Flash, she states: “Unlike most players, who like flashy cars, jewellery and watches, Diogo was never into that scene.
“The vehicles we had were enough for him. Perhaps because he was never very interested in cars, he took the opportunity to have the experience of driving a Ferrari, which, in fact, he returned on the morning of our wedding. Afterwards, he would rent the Lamborghini.”
Alongside family members, the book also includes contributions from notable names such as Liverpool manager Arne Slot, former boss Jurgen Klopp, Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez, and Manchester City players Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva.
The book’s publisher, Cultura Editors, part of Grupo Infinito Particular, 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.”
It adds: “More than a sports biography, this book reveals the human journey of a figure who marked a generation. From his origins in Gondomar to international recognition, passing through family life, love, fatherhood, and the discreet way he lived his success, an intimate, rigorous, and sensitive portrait is built here.
“Based on around 90 testimonies, including names such as Ruben Neves, Bernardo Silva, Virgil van Dijk, and coaches like Jurgen Klopp and Fernando Santos, the narrative gains a collective dimension, reflecting the human and professional impact of Diogo Jota on and off the field.
“The book also addresses, with sobriety and respect, the tragic accident that claimed the lives of Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, a moment that deeply shook Portuguese and international football. Without resorting to sensationalism, the book seeks to give meaning to the loss, preserving the dignity of memory.
“With detailed documentation, complete career statistics, and a set of exclusive photographs provided by the family, this is an enduring testament to talent, character, and humanity. A book that does not merely remember: it helps us understand why some absences never cease to be a presence. Arriving in bookstores across the country on April 9.”
