Jota funeral: Carrying red wreath, Liverpool players join family in private service
Club captain Virgil Van Dijk, goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher and manager Arne Slot were among Liverpool teammates past and present who attended the service in Gondomar for the striker and his brother, Andre Silva.
The English Premier League stars carried two floral tributes in the club's red colour into the chapel, each in the shape of a shirt.
The one carried by Van Dijk had the number 20 written in white flowers, which Jota wore on his Liverpool shirt.
The other bore the number 30, which was worn by Jota's brother, who played for FC Peñafiel in Portugal's second division.
Dressed in black and with their heads bowed, the teammates entered the church in silence. The only sound was the applause from the crowd outside.
Rute Cardoso, who married her childhood sweetheart Jota only weeks before the fatal crash, arrived with relatives.
Hundreds of residents of Gondomar, a small town in northern Portugal where Jota grew up, gathered outside.
The private service for family and close friends was presided over by the Bishop of Porto, Manuel Linda.
In an emotional homily addressed to Jota's parents, his wife and their three young children, Linda said: "solidarity in love is always stronger than death".
Teammates from the Portugal national squad including Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes, who both play in the English Premier League, also attended the service.
Jota's death at the age of 28 sent shock waves through the world of soccer and beyond, with messages of condolences pouring in from national leaders as well as across the sport.
The brothers were believed to have been driving to a ferry in Spain to travel to Britain when their Lamborghini veered off the road and burst into flames after midnight on Thursday. Police said they suspected a tyre had burst.
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Al Etihad
4 hours ago
- Al Etihad
Family and football unite to bid Diogo Jota farewell
5 July 2025 16:23 GONDOMAR, PORTUGAL (AFP)Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota and his brother were laid to rest on Saturday in their hometown, just days after the pair died in a car crash that shocked the football 28, and Andre Silva, 25, were killed on Thursday after their vehicle veered off a motorway in northwestern Spain and became engulfed in flames, a week after the Portuguese forward had gotten hours before the accident, Jota had posted a video of his June 22 wedding to Rute Cardoso, with whom he shared three stars joined family and friends at the funeral in his hometown of Gondomar, near Porto and conducted by the bishop of Porto.A number of teammates from the national side, including Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Danilo Pereira and Joao Felix, as well as coach Roberto Martinez attended, though national skipper Cristiano Ronaldo was not Virgil van Dijk bore a garlanded wreath of red flowers in the form of a Liverpool shirt bearing Jota's number evening had seen Van Dijk, several players including Liverpool's Uruguay international Darwin Nunez and Liverpool coach Arne Slot meet with Jota's family and attend a wake for the deceased those who came to offer their condolences were a childhood friend, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, Jota's agent Jorge Mendes and Porto club president Andre formerly played with death of the Portugal international and his brother has triggered an outpouring of emotion in football, and beyond. Portuguese and UK media reported Jota was driving to the northern Spanish port of Santander to take a ferry to England, where Liverpool were due to start training on Friday, avoiding a flight on medical advice after a recent lung operation.
Khaleej Times
6 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Jota funeral: Carrying red wreath, Liverpool players join family in private service
Carrying a red floral wreath bearing his shirt number, Diogo Jota's Liverpool teammates joined relatives and residents in a small Portuguese town on Saturday for the funeral of the football star, who died with his brother in a car crash on Thursday. Club captain Virgil Van Dijk, goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher and manager Arne Slot were among Liverpool teammates past and present who attended the service in Gondomar for the striker and his brother, Andre Silva. The English Premier League stars carried two floral tributes in the club's red colour into the chapel, each in the shape of a shirt. The one carried by Van Dijk had the number 20 written in white flowers, which Jota wore on his Liverpool shirt. The other bore the number 30, which was worn by Jota's brother, who played for FC Peñafiel in Portugal's second division. Dressed in black and with their heads bowed, the teammates entered the church in silence. The only sound was the applause from the crowd outside. Rute Cardoso, who married her childhood sweetheart Jota only weeks before the fatal crash, arrived with relatives. Hundreds of residents of Gondomar, a small town in northern Portugal where Jota grew up, gathered outside. The private service for family and close friends was presided over by the Bishop of Porto, Manuel Linda. In an emotional homily addressed to Jota's parents, his wife and their three young children, Linda said: "solidarity in love is always stronger than death". Teammates from the Portugal national squad including Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes, who both play in the English Premier League, also attended the service. Jota's death at the age of 28 sent shock waves through the world of soccer and beyond, with messages of condolences pouring in from national leaders as well as across the sport. The brothers were believed to have been driving to a ferry in Spain to travel to Britain when their Lamborghini veered off the road and burst into flames after midnight on Thursday. Police said they suspected a tyre had burst.
The National
7 hours ago
- The National
Diogo Jota funeral: Liverpool players arrive in Portugal to join mourners
Liverpool players and staff past and present arrived in Portugal to attend the funeral of Diogo Jota following his death in a car crash in Spain. Liverpool first-team manager Arne Slot, club captain Virgil van Dijk, defender Andrew Robertson, midfielder Alexis Mac Allister and former teammates Jordan Henderson and James Milner were among those in Portugal on Friday evening in footage broadcast on local Portuguese media. Jota, 28, was killed along with his younger brother Andre Silva, 25, after a Lamborghini they were travelling in burst into flames following a suspected tyre blowout in the early hours of Thursday morning in Zamora, north-west Spain. The players, who also included Curtis Jones, Federico Chiesa, Wataru Endo and former Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, arrived at the Portuguese chapel to applause from crowds standing nearby. The funeral is set to begin at 10am on Saturday, according to parish priest at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar in Sao Cosme, Jose Manuel Macedo. It comes after family and friends gathered for the brothers' wake on Friday, with a queue forming outside the Portuguese chapel. The brothers' parents attended the Sao Cosme Chapel, the Capela da Ressurreicao, in the town of Gondomar near Porto on Friday, with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro and Jota's agent also among attendees. People held service sheets featuring pictures of both brothers, the largest one showing Jota smiling in his Liverpool shirt and making a heart sign with his hands. Liverpool postponed the return of players for pre-season following Jota's death, as a number of players past and present paid tribute. Liverpool Football Club have opened physical and digital books of condolence for supporters to pay tribute to Jota, who joined the club in 2020 from Wolves for €44.7 million. Fans flocked have been flocking to Anfield since the new of Jota's death to lay scarves, wreaths and floral tributes. Flags have been lowered to half-mast at Anfield, the club said on its website. All club stores, museums and tours have been closed until Monday July 7 and staff have been offered wellbeing support, should they need it, a statement read. Jota and Silva were both found dead after the car crashed on the A-52 in Palacios de Sanabria near the city of Zamora at 12.40am on Thursday. Police said they were investigating the possibility that the Lamborghini left the road because of a tyre blowout while overtaking, and a source from the government sub-delegation in Zamora confirmed 'a possible speeding incident' was being looked at. Pictures of the aftermath of the crash showed debris scattered along the side of the road including what appeared to be charred parts of the vehicle. No other vehicles are said to have been involved in the incident. to a player who scored 65 goals in 182 appearances for the club, winning the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup during his five-year stay on Merseyside. Jota is survived by his wife Rute Cardoso, whom he only married in Porto 11 days before his death, and their three children.
