Touching moment ex-Liverpool captain lays flowers for Diogo Jota – as family gathers for funeral
Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva, 25, were killed on Wednesday night local time when a tyre on the star's Lamborghini blew out and the car hurtled off the road, catching fire.
Jota's and Silva's funerals will be held on Saturday morning in their hometown of Gondomar near the Portuguese city of Porto, The Sun reports.
Mourners gathered in Portugal on Friday ahead of the brothers' public wake to be followed by a funeral.
The family and the bodies travelled for legal formalities to the locality of Puebla de Sanabria, where two hearses could be seen outside a funeral home and influential Portuguese football agent Jorge Mendes.
Jota's Liverpool teammates have spoken of their struggle to comprehend his death, with captain Virgil van Dijk writing on Instagram that he was 'absolutely devastated and in total disbelief'.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot said everyone associated with the club owed it to Jota to 'stand together and be there for one another'.
Jota had married his partner Rute Cardoso on June 22, posting a video of their wedding on Instagram just hours before the accident. They had three children.
Portuguese and UK media reported Jota was driving to the northern Spanish port of Santander to take a ferry to England, avoiding a flight on medical advice after a recent lung operation.
The first group of Slot's Liverpool squad were scheduled to be at the club's training complex on Friday for the opening round of physical tests after their post-season break.
But their return has reportedly been pushed back until Monday. Liverpool's first pre-season match is against Preston on July 13. The club have opened a book of condolence and lowered flags to half-mast. Fans have left flowers, scarfs and shirts at a makeshift shrine outside Anfield and there are similar scenes at Wolves' Molineux Stadium, where Jota played previously.
'Family mourning'
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who brought Jota to the Reds in 2020, said he was 'heartbroken' in an Instagram post, while the club spoke of an 'unimaginable loss'.
Current boss Arne Slot described Jota as a 'unique human being' and a 'friend to everyone'.
A sea of shirts, scarfs, flowers, balloons, photographs and banners lay outside the club's Anfield stadium as fans flocked to pay tribute.
'It is just so raw. It is like a family mourning,' said Tom Barry, a 32-year-old mechanic who was wearing a red Liverpool shirt with Jota's name and number on the back.
Portuguese also woke up stunned to the news, with retiree Jose Zambujinho, 69, saying he was mourning 'an incalculable loss'.
'I was depressed when I heard the news … Portugal has lost a great player,' Caramo Cassama, a 39-year-old security guard, told AFP in Lisbon.
Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said Jota 'greatly honoured Portugal's name', while his former clubs Porto, Atletico Madrid and Wolverhampton Wanderers were among the string of footballing and political figures expressing shock and condolences.
Both players 'will be commemorated not only for their footballing talent, but also for their personal and human qualities', Porto president Andre Villas-Boas said in a statement.
'We are heartbroken. Diogo was adored by our fans, loved by his teammates and cherished by everyone who worked with him … the memories he created will never be forgotten,' Wolves said.
Portugal and Spain observed a moment of silence before their Women's Euro 2025 match in Switzerland, with UEFA announcing all games at the tournament would do so on Thursday and Friday.
Jota scored nine goals in all competitions last season as Liverpool cruised to their record-equalling 20th English league title.
Capped 49 times by Portugal, Jota moved to England in 2017 with Wolves and earned a £45 million ($62 million) move to Liverpool three years later.
His goalscoring prowess quickly made him a fans' favourite, as he netted 65 times for the Reds in five years and lifted the League Cup and FA Cup in the 2021/22 season.
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ABC News
15 hours ago
- ABC News
Diogo Jota's funeral draws Liverpool and Portugal players, who join family in mourning
Players from Liverpool and Portugal's national team have joined family and friends for the funeral of their teammate Diogo Jota and his brother, two days after the siblings died in a car crash in Spain. Liverpool captain Virgil Van Dijk arrived carrying a red floral arrangement in the shape of a soccer shirt with Jota's number 20 in white. Close friend and Liverpool teammate Andrew Robertson carried a similar arrangement with the number 30, the number worn by Jota's brother, André Silva, who played for Portuguese club Penafiel. Liverpool coach Arne Slot was part of the Liverpool contingent. Portugal international Rúben Neves served as a pallbearer for Jota a day after playing for Al Hilal at the Club World Cup in the United States. "More than a friendship, we're family, and we're not going to stop being family just because you've decided to sign a contract a little further away from us," he said. Portugal's national team coach Roberto Martínez and several other top Portuguese players also attended, including Manchester City duo Bernardo Silva and Rúben Dias and Manchester United's Bruno Fernándes. "These are really, really sad days, as you can imagine," Martínez said. "But today we showed we are a large, close family. … Their spirit will be with us forever." The service was held at Igreja Matriz church in the Portuguese town of Gondomar near Porto, where Jota had a home. The last time many of his friends in football made the trip to Porto was two weeks prior, for Jota's wedding. 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 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, the bishop said "solidarity in love is always stronger than death". The church was filled to capacity and a couple of dozen people followed the service via loudspeaker from outside. Afterwards, the coffins were carried to the cemetery next to the church. Jota's death at the age of 28 sent shock waves through the world of soccer and beyond. 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 suspected a tyre had burst but are investigating the cause of the crash, which did not involve another vehicle, they said. Reuters/AP
7NEWS
15 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Widow's unimaginable pain as football star Diogo Jota farewelled at funeral in Portugal
Carrying a red floral wreath bearing his shirt number, Diogo Jota's Liverpool teammates have joined relatives and residents in a small Portuguese town for the funeral of the soccer 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 on Saturday 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 Penafiel 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 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 Manchester City's Bernardo Silva and Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes, who both play in the English Premier League, also attended the service. 'Jota will always be in our hearts. He will always be present at every breakfast, lunch, dinner, at all our national team get-togethers, at our PlayStation games, at our card games,' Silva told Portuguese broadcaster TVI. 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. Fans continued to lay flowers and other tributes to the striker on Saturday outside Liverpool's Anfield stadium. 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. Tributes flow for much-loved star Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has admitted he is fearful of what awaits when he returns to the club in the wake of Diogo Jota's death. Players were due back this weekend to begin the preliminaries of pre-season. However, the first tranche of the phased return scheduled for Friday has been postponed. '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.' Former Liverpool captain and team-mate Jordan Henderson joined the thousands of mourners to have laid a tribute at the temporary shrine which has built up outside Anfield. 'Jots it was a pleasure to share a pitch with you but more importantly a friendship. All the laughs we had off the pitch and trying to find ways to wind milly (teammate James Milner) up and get him fined, which we never could,' the England midfielder wrote on Instagram. 'Taking pictures of me asleep on the bus travelling then sending them to me later. You always wanted to have a laugh and were a pleasure to be around.' Mourners gathered at a wake in Portugal, ahead of the brothers' funeral on Saturday. Portuguese prime minister Luis Montenegro, Porto president Andre Villas-Boas, Portuguese football federation president Pedro Proenca and Jota's longtime agent Jorge Mendes joined the brothers' family including Jota's wife Rute Cardoso, who had married the footballer just weeks earlier, at a private wake in the brothers' home town of Gondomar in northern Portugal. 'It is a moment of great pain for the family, who are left anchored to this tragic accident,' Proenca said as he left the wake. 'Diogo was an icon for the talent that Portuguese football represents and for its ability to generate unity around a person.' Liverpool, who are supporting Jota's family, have opened a book of condolence, both physical in the Anfield Road Stand and online, lowered flags to half-mast and closed all stores and the museum and suspended all tours until Monday. Fans continue to leave flowers, scarves and shirts outside Anfield and there are similar scenes at Wolves' Molineux Stadium, where Jota spent three years before his move to Liverpool. Jota was also remembered at Wimbledon as two Portuguese players wore a black ribbon on their all-white attire during their matches. The All England Club has a strict dress code for players while on court but permission to wear the ribbon was granted. Nuno Borges, who at No. 37 is Portugal's highest-ranked tennis player, attached a ribbon to his hat for his third-round match against Karen Khachanov on No.3 Court. Francisco Cabral wore a black ribbon on his left sleeve during a doubles match.
News.com.au
20 hours ago
- News.com.au
Family and football unite to bid Diogo Jota farewell
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 world. Jota, 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 Portugal forward had got married. Just hours before the accident, Jota had posted a video of his June 22 wedding to partner Rute Cardoso, with whom he shared three children. Football 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 present. Liverpool Virgil van Dijk bore a garlanded wreath of red flowers in the form of a Liverpool shirt bearing Jota's number 20. Friday 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 brothers. Among 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 Villas-Boas. Jota formerly played with Porto. "Football is truly in mourning. Diogo was an icon of the talent Portuguese football represents," said football federation chief Pedro Proenca. Close family and friends including the parents paid their respects at Friday's wake first, with the grandfather aided by two others to help him enter the chapel. Friday night, British rock band Oasis played their song "Live Forever" in tribute to Jota at a concert in Cardiff marking a return to touring after 16 years. - 'Rest in peace' - Mourners arrived carrying wreaths of flowers, some sobbing audibly, before the wake was opened to members of the public. The death of the Portugal international and his brother has triggered an outpouring of emotion in football, and beyond. Liverpool opened a book of condolences and lowered flags to half-mast, with dozens of supporters laying a sea of flowers, balloons, Jota shirts, and scarves with the message "Rest in peace Diogo Jota", outside Anfield. At the Diogo Jota football academy, close to Gondomar SC where the ex-Porto and Atletico Madrid player took his first steps in the game, well-wishers created a memorial with flowers, scarves, candles and shirts. "Thank you, Diogo Jota," read a child's handwritten message. Pedro Neves, who was friends with Jota at school in Gondomar, said he "will remember him as someone who was very friendly, very courteous, who loved everyone, who always had a smile on his face". "He left us too young, it's not fair. But that's how life is sometimes," Neves, 31, told AFP. Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who brought Jota to the Reds in 2020, has said he was "heartbroken" while the club spoke of an "unimaginable loss". Slot, who succeeded Klopp last year at Anfield, said everyone associated with the club owed it to Jota to "stand together and be there for one another". Jota was remembered at the Club World Cup in the United States on Friday, with a one-minute silence held at the quarter-final between Brazil's Fluminense and Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal in Orlando. A minute's silence was similarly held at women's Euro 25 matches. 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. Liverpool's Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah said the death of his teammate had left him "frightened" to return to the club as the Premier League champions postponed the return of some players for pre-season training.
