The wife of former Arsenal star Jose Antonio Reyes shared the last message that she received from her husband
The widow of Jose Antonio Reyes previously shared the final message she received from her husband just hours before his tragic death. The Arsenal icon died in a car crash, aged 35, alongside his 23-year-old cousin Jonathan Reyes in June 2019.
The former Gunners star was part of the Invincibles squad that clinched the Premier League title in 2004. He was later sold to Atletico Madrid in 2007, where he twice won the Europa League, and two of his old clubs are set to meet in the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday.
Away from the pitch, Reyes married Noelia Lopez in 2017 and the couple had two daughters together. The Spain international also had a son from a previous relationship, Jose Antonio Jr, who is part of Real Madrid’s academy.
A few months after her husband’s death, Lopez posted a screenshot of the final message she received from him. Still listed as ‘Papi Amor’ in her contacts, he had sent the WhatsApp at 7:43am on the day of his death.
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Translated from Spanish, the heartbreaking message read: “Good morning mommy I love you guys.” Later that year, Lopez also found an old Valentine’s Day note from her partner, in which Reyes had written: “Happy Valentine’s Day. I won’t forget you even from a distance.”
Reyes died alongside his cousin Jonathan after his Mercedes Brabus S550 crashed on the A-376 motorway in southern Spain. Another of the footballer’s cousins, Juan Manuel Calderon suffered serious burns but survived the crash.
Lopez described her husband as the “love of my life” and gave an emotional tribute shortly before his funeral in June 2019. She said: “We will always think of you and you will live on forever in our hearts. You’ve given us the best life and you leave the best memories.
“You will look at me in Noelia’s eyes and you will smile with me in Triana’s smile. I love you and will love you for ever.”
As a footballer, Reyes began his career with boyhood club Sevilla and his displays prompted a move to Arsenal midway through their unbeaten season in January 2004, making 13 appearances to earn a Premier League medal. He also won the 2005 FA Cup and featured in the 2006 Champions League final, clocking up 110 appearances for the club.
Reyes moved back to Spain after signing on loan for Real Madrid, where he won La Liga, before heading across the city to join Atletico permanently in 2007. The midfielder returned to Sevilla in January 2012, where he would stay until 2016, winning three Europa League titles.
Ahead of Arsenal facing Sevilla in 2023, manager Mikel Arteta reflected on the time he had spent with his former Spain U21 team-mates. The Arsenal boss said of Reyes: “I have great memories. He was my roommate and we spent quite a lot of time together.
“He was a fantastic character with a very special personality and had an incredible football talent. At that age, I can’t recall a better player than him, he had everything. He played for [Arsenal and Sevilla] and he is part of our history in a big way because he was part of the Invincibles as well.”