SPANISH POLICE HAVE revealed that Jose Antonio Reyes’s car was speeding at “more than 220kmph” (136mph) and that they believe that was the “main” cause of the crash that resulted in the death of the former Sevilla and Arsenal winger.
The Liga club confirmed on Saturday that Reyes, and his cousin Jonathan, were killed in a car accident, with the EFE agency reporting that the crash took place in Seville at 11.40am local time and that the vehicle “went off the road and burst into flames”.
And a Guardia Civil official has now revealed further details of the crash, with BBC Sport also reporting that the spokesman confirmed that Reyes was driving at the time of the accident.
“The speed limit in the area is 120kmph. We can confirm it [the speed of the vehicle] was the main cause of the accident,” the spokesman told the Press Association.
“Our investigation remains open, we do not know if there are more causes of the accident. But right now we can confirm that the main [cause] was the speeding, it was more than 220kmph.”
Reyes’s funeral took place in his hometown of Utrera in Seville on 3 June, with a flag of Sevilla draped around his coffin. His body was then transported to the club’s Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan stadium, with thousands of fans attending to pay their respects.
The 35-year-old won three Europa League titles during his two spells with the Liga side, making over 200 appearances and scoring 40 goals.
Reyes also played for Arsenal over three seasons, leaving the club to firstly join Real Madrid on loan in 2006 before a permanent move to their rivals Atletico Madrid for the 2007-08 season.
He won a Premier League title as a member of the club’s famed Invincibles side in 2004, while he also collected an FA Cup winner’s medal and reached a Champions League final with the club in 2006.
Reyes played alongside the likes of Thierry Henry and Sergio Ramos at club and international level, with the duo, along with numerous other players, managers and football clubs, leaving messages of condolence on social media following news of the player’s death.
Cesc Fabregas also posted an emotional tribute to his former team-mate, reflecting on the special relationship that the duo shared and that he was his “first great friend” in football.
After leaving Sevilla in 2016, Reyes spent a season at Espanyol before joining Cordoba in the Spanish second division.
He would then spend a brief spell in China playing for Xinjiang Tianshan Leopard, before returning to Spain and turning out of Extremadura in the second division, where he played nine times in the 2018-19 season.
A moment’s applause was conducted by players and supporters prior to the Champions League final in Madrid, while seven matches in Spain’s second tier were cancelled and rescheduled as a mark of respect for Reyes.
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