Liverpool players arrive in Portugal ahead of Diogo Jota's funeral

Independent

a day ago

Liverpool players have arrived in Portugal ahead of Diogo Jota's funeral, following the player's death in a car crash in Spain.
Reds manager Arne Slot, captain Virgil van Dijk, players Andrew Robertson, Alexis Mac Allister and former team mates Jordan Henderson and James Milner could be seen in Portugal on Friday evening on footage from local media.
The father-of-three, who married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso 11 days before the accident, was killed alongside his brother, Andre Silva, after a Lamborghini they were travelling in burst into flames following a suspected tyre blowout in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The players, who also included Curtis Jones, Federico Chiesa, Wataru Endo and 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 FC shirt and making a heart sign with his hands.
Liverpool Football Club postponed the return of players for pre-season following Jota's death, as a number of players past and present paid tribute.
A sea of floral tributes had been left outside Anfield, with many Liverpool fans and supporters of other clubs looking to pay their respects.
Flags have been lowered to half-mast at the stadium and all club stores, museums and tours have been closed until Monday, with staff offered wellbeing support.
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.