Liverpool bosses mourn at Diogo Jota wake with Premier League stars & team-mates
Sporting director Richard Hughes and Fenway Sports' CEO of Football Michael Edwards led a Liverpool delegation in paying tribute to Diogo Jota at his wake in Portugal on Friday night.
Former Kop stars Thiago Alcantara and Fabinho, as well as Manchester United's Diogo Dalot - an international team-mate of Jota - also attended the Capela da Ressurreicao in Gondomar, the tragic striker's home town.
The world of football has been in mourning following the death of Jota and his younger brother, Andre Silva, on Thursday. The pair both lost their lives following a car crash near Zamora, close to Spain's north-west border with Portugal.
The tragic incident occurred just days after Jota's marriage to his childhood sweetheart, Rute Cardoso.
Mourners gathered at a wake in Portugal on Friday morning, ahead of the brothers' funeral at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar in Sao Cosme at 10am on Saturday. Initially held in private for family it was later opened up to the public with hundreds queuing around the 17th-century church.
Liverpool are preparing to bid an emotional farewell to Jota and his brother at the funeral on Saturday. Liverpool have yet to confirm arrangements but a number of players are expected to attend.
Former Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea manager, Andre Villas-Boas, now the president of Porto, was among those who attended the church to pay the club's respects. Speaking afterwards he said: 'They left behind a lot of history. Diogo has a history in the senior team and André has many years from the children's team to the under-19s.
'Diogo, especially as a major public figure, was a silent hero. We all appreciated everything he represented, not only on the field, but also off it. He was a partner of FC Porto with its Esports team. Someone who will be well remembered, just like his brother.
'Let us hope that the memory of these two athletes, two great men, will live on in time.'
Nottingham Forest's Jota Silva, born in Gondomar, and Jota's former Wolves and Portugal team-mate Joao Moutinho were among those to attend the chapel, along with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation Pedro Proenca and super agent Jorge Mendes, who broke down in tears outside the venue. A delegation from Paços de Ferreira, Jota's first club, laid a yellow wreath
The country's president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and prime minister Luis Montenegro both attended in person, while members of the Portuguese parliament paid tribute to the two brothers too.
Mohamed Salah, one of the last Liverpool players to share his grief on social media, admitted he was dreading returning to the club in the wake of Jota's shock death. Some players were due back on Friday to begin the preliminaries of pre-season testing but the first tranche of a phased return was postponed as everyone at the club continues to try to come to terms with the tragedy.
'I am truly lost for words. Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break,' Salah wrote on social media. 'Team-mates come and go but not like this. It's going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won't be there when we go back.
'My thoughts are with his wife, his children, and of course his parents who suddenly lost their children. Those close to Diogo and his brother Andre need all the support they can get. They will never be forgotten.'
Diogo Jota's wedding caterer has also paid tribute to the star and told how he saw him at his happiest on the day of the nuptials.
Rui Paula, who has two michelin stars, said: 'The last time I saw him was at the wedding. On the last day, he had a meal with Rute (his wife) and the children, and then got in the car to go to Liverpool. His wife was supposed to follow today, Friday, with the children.
'The wedding was all organised, very beautiful. I did the catering, there was a band playing, he was happy. The wedding was at the Igreja da Lapa, in Porto, and the catering was in Marco de Canaveses. He arrived and asked me to prepare him something to eat because he was hungry, as the wedding had been delayed. But when I went to Liverpool for the menu tasting, for the wedding, he was also happy.
"At the wedding he was super happy. At a wedding there's always some worry and anxiety, but he was very happy, completely happy. They met very young, had three children, lived in Liverpool, and that's where I got to know them better.
"What I feel is that they are all humble people; fame hasn't gone to their heads, they're impeccable people, and Diogo was a simple, professional, dedicated, gentle, kind young man - everything you could wish for in a good person. This is a huge tragedy, because just think, his parents have lost two children, and his wife is left with three little ones. They had only been married for 15 days on Sunday.
'All of Portugal is shaken - I can't remember seeing people so affected, so sad. His character was that of a good person, even if you didn't know him, you could look at him and see he was a good person. Low profile, grounded, didn't flaunt his wealth, he was an impeccable young man. May God rest his soul.
'On the pitch he was a professional, but off the pitch he was even better.
'I just want to say, these moments are so painful, so intense… this is a tragedy, isn't it? And so, what I wish for the family is a lot of strength. If there's any purpose to this happening? I don't know if there is. Hold on to faith as well, because it's very hard for a parent to lose two children and for Rute to be left with three children on her own. "They have to be strong people, try to carry this in as light a way as possible. Because the pain of this tragedy will be immense. "I wish them a lot of strength, a lot of love, and that they stay united to steer this ship to a safe harbour, because it will be a heavy ship. And I want to say that Diogo Jota was an absolutely wonderful person.'
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The father of Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva is conforted by a woman during the wake for his two sons in Gondomar Portugal's Prime Minister Luis Montenegro arrives for the brothers' wake at the Sao Cosme Chapel in the town of Gondomar near Porto He was overwhelmed as he looked at the flowers and other tributes Former captain of Liverpool Jordan Henderson hugging with Diogo Jota last year. Jordan wept for him today Diogo and Andre's mother Isabel, father Joaquim and their grandfather were emotional on arriving at the chapel. Joaquim hugged several people and was supported by his brother and later raised a hand to mourners as he left with his wife. They returned around an hour later. Portugal's Prime Minister Luis Montenegro also attended the wake along with Diogo's agent Jorge Mendes. The President of Portugal, Marcelo de Sousa, came later. The mood outside Sao Cosme Chapel was one of respectful silence and contemplation today. 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On Thursday afternoon, hearses were spotted arriving at a funeral home in the Spanish town of Puebla de Sanabria, where the bodies were taken after the incident. Jota's agent Jorge Mendes was pictured accompanying the player's mother as they entered the funeral home, and he told reporters it was a 'very difficult' time. 'We lost two great people. Diogo is an example as a person, husband, son, professional. I still can't believe it, it's very difficult,' said Mendes, in tears. The hearses later departed for Gondomar. This morning's wake will take place just a half-hour drive from Jota's home city of Porto, northern Portugal - where just two weeks ago the 28-year-old married his childhood sweetheart Rute Cardoso in a service packed with family and friends. Jota and his brother Andre, 26, were reportedly on a road trip to Santander to catch a ferry to Britain after he was advised not to fly following lung surgery. Local priest Jose Manuel Macedo said the wake will take place at Sao Cosme Chapel before the funeral Saturday at the Catholic church next door - the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar (pictured) Jota is pictured (far right) with his wife Rute and younger brother Andre Tyre marks can be seen on the road where Jota's Lamborghini overtook a car and then collided straight into the crash barriers. Tragically the crash claimed the lives of the two brothers Liverpool are due to start pre-season training on Monday, so Jota was heading back to the UK on a road trip. A Brittany Ferries service from Santander to Plymouth left at 4pm on Thursday, arriving in Devon at 11.15am on Friday. The football club said in a statement that they were 'devastated' by the tragedy and that Diogo's family, friends and fans had suffered an 'unimaginable loss '. Flowers and tributes have been laid outside Anfield by supporters in tears. Jota had just married the mother of his three children and partner since the age of 16. He had described himself as the luckiest man in the world to be her husband, sharing footage of their wedding day in his final Instagram post on Wednesday. Rute shared more wedding day pictures in a social media post and said: 'My dream come true.' Jota then replied in the comments: 'I'm the lucky one.' The pair got together in 2013, it has been reported, and have three children together - two sons and a daughter who was born in November. Jota was part of Liverpool's Premier League-winning side in the 2024/25 campaign, scoring six goals in 26 appearances. He also played for Portugal's national team and helped them win the Nations League last month. His younger brother played for Penafiel, in the second tier of Portuguese football. The Spanish civil guard said Jota was found dead at the scene alongside his brother. Jota's agent Jorge Mendes was emotional when he arrived at the funeral home Two hearses were spotted arriving at the funeral home in the town of Puebla de Sanabria Police are investigating the cause of the crash but believe based on the marks on the road, pictured, a tyre blew out just before the incident The vegetation roadside caught fire after the incident (pictured) The couple have three children, pictured at Anfield in May after winning the Premier League 'The 1-1-2 Castilla y León operations room received several calls reporting a vehicle accident at Km. 65 of the A-52, in the municipality of Cernadilla, Zamora. A car was reported to have been involved in an accident and the vehicle was on fire,' they said. '1-1-2 notified the Zamora Traffic Police, the Zamora Provincial Council Fire Brigade, and the Sacyl Emergency Coordination Center (CCU) of this accident. 'From there, a Medical Emergency Unit (UME) and the Primary Care Medical Staff (MAP) from the Mombuey Health Center were sent, who confirmed the death of two people on the scene.' The Portuguese national football team said they are 'devastated' by the death of Jota, adding he 'was not only a fantastic player with almost 50 caps for the national team, but an extraordinary person who was respected by all his teammates and opponents '. His death was confirmed by Pedro Proenca, head of the Portuguese Football Federation, who said in a statement: 'The Portuguese Football Federation and all of Portuguese football are completely devastated by the deaths of Diogo Jota and André Silva, on Thursday morning, in Spain. 'Much more than an amazing player, with almost 50 matches for the National A Team, Diogo Jota was an extraordinary person, respected by all teammates and opponents, someone with an infectious joy and a reference in the community itself. 'On my behalf, and on behalf of the Portuguese Football Federation, I express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Diogo and Andre Silva, as well as Liverpool FC and FC Penafiel, the clubs where, respectively, lined up the players. 'The Portuguese Football Federation has already asked UEFA for a minute's silence, this Thursday, before the match of our national team with Spain, in the women's European Championship. Lost to two champs. The happy couple with their children Denis, Duarte, and a daughter born in 2024 They showed off their rings after exchanging vows in front of family and friends Jota and Rute leave the church. They later said that they had both said: 'Yes to forever.' Jota described himself as the luckiest man in the world in an interview 'The disappearance of Diogo and Andre Silva represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football and we will do everything to, daily, honor their legacy'. Jota joined Liverpool from Wolves in 2020 and won three major trophies with the Merseyside club - including the Premier League title last season. Cristiano Ronaldo, Jota's friend and teammate, said on Thursday: 'It doesn't make any sense. Just now we were together for the national team, you were just married. 'To your family, to your wife and children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world. I know you will always be with them. Read More BREAKING NEWS Diogo Jota's funeral to start today: Liverpool star being taken home to Portugal after fiery crash 'RIP, Diogo and Andre. We will miss you.' Liverpool boss Arne Slot penned a touching tribute to Jota, vowing he will 'never be forgotten'. He began: 'What to say? What can anyone say at a time like this when the shock and the pain is so incredibly raw? I wish I had the words but I know I do not. 'All I have are feelings that I know so many people will share about a person and a player we loved dearly and a family we care so much about.' There were also tributes from the likes of Jurgen Klopp, who described Jota as his 'great friend', as well as Liverpool team-mates Virgil van Dijk, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez.
