In a new twist to the developing saga surrounding Diogo Jota, the Portuguese footballer’s personal driver has come forward with startling claims about the night before the player’s controversial car accident — and the secret photo he took that has now become the centre of heated speculation.
Speaking exclusively to The Daily Record under anonymity, the longtime private driver revealed that Jota had been “oddly secretive” about the destination he requested on the night in question. “He just said, ‘Drive. I’ll tell you when to stop.’ He never does that,” the driver stated.
After nearly 40 minutes of winding through suburban backroads, the footballer allegedly told him to pull over near an unmarked residential complex in a quiet neighbourhood, later confirmed to be just outside Cheshire.
“I wasn’t given a name or address. It felt… off. But he told me to wait in the car. I saw him walk through the gate where a woman — not his wife — was already waiting,” the driver recounted. “Something told me to take a quick photo of the building, just in case.”
That single image, which the driver admits he took “without consent, purely out of instinct”, is now causing chaos behind closed doors.
According to sources close to the situation, Jota’s wife, Rute Cardoso, became aware of the photo after confronting the driver the morning after the crash, when inconsistencies began to emerge regarding Jota’s whereabouts the previous night. The moment she saw the image, she is said to have “turned pale, made a single call, and left the room.”
That call, insiders claim, was to the police.
Although authorities have not officially confirmed the involvement of Jota’s wife, several outlets now report that the residence in question is linked to a woman who has travelled internationally with Jota on multiple occasions, under different booking aliases.
Police have since declined to comment on any active investigations, but cybersecurity units in Dublin and Dubai are reportedly assisting in analyzing the building’s surveillance footage — some of which may already have been deleted, according to one tech source.
The driver, meanwhile, insists he’s not seeking attention or compensation. “I just want the truth to come out. I’ve worked for him for years. But something about that night didn’t sit right. And now… everything’s unraveling.”
Jota’s representatives have remained silent since the initial leaks, and Liverpool FC has yet to release a statement, despite growing pressure from fans and media outlets.
As speculation intensifies, this latest revelation — involving an unnamed address, a single photo, and a wife’s swift reaction — is only deepening the mystery surrounding what really happened in the 24 hours leading up to Diogo Jota’s crash.