11 months ago
23
Adriana Garcia
Jul 5, 2025, 06:07 AM ET
Family, friends and existent and erstwhile teammates gathered to wage their respects to Diogo Jota and his brother, André Silva, whose funerals were held successful Gondomar, Portugal, connected Saturday morning.
Jota, 28, and, André, 25, were killed successful a car clang adjacent Zamora, Spain, successful the early hours of Thursday.
Liverpool teammates past and contiguous including nine skipper Virgil Van Dijk and manager Arne Slot carried 2 reddish floral tributes into the chapel, each successful the signifier of a shirt.
The 1 carried by Van Dijk had the No. 20 written successful achromatic flowers, which Jota wore connected his Liverpool shirt. The different bore the No. 30, which was worn by Jota's brother, who played for FC Peñafiel successful Portugal's 2nd division.
Dressed successful achromatic and with their heads bowed, the teammates entered the religion successful silence. The lone dependable was the applause from the assemblage outside.
Rute Cardoso, who joined her puerility sweetheart Jota lone weeks earlier the fatal crash, arrived with relatives.
Hundreds of residents of Gondomar, a tiny municipality successful bluish Portugal wherever Jota grew up, gathered outside.
The backstage work for household and adjacent friends was presided implicit by the Bishop of Porto, Manuel Linda.
In an affectional homily addressed to Jota's parents, his woman and their 3 young children, Linda said "solidarity successful emotion is ever stronger than death".
Penafiel players carried André's coffin into the church. Rúben Neves helped to transportation Jota's coffin. Jota's woman was consoled by family, arsenic she followed the coffins.
Portugal teammates Bruno Fernandes, João Cancelo, Renato Veiga, João Félix, José Fonte, Danilo, Adrien Silva were besides present.
Bernardo Silva was seen carrying flowers arsenic helium entered the church. The Liverpool squad delegation besides arrived.
"I can't adjacent ideate the symptom of the family, of Rute, of the children, of the parents," Silva told TVI earlier the funeral, in quotes reported by Record. "I indispensable speech a small astir Jota, who was a large person to each of us.
"His career, though not the astir important thing, speaks for itself. His passion, volition and determination allowed him to win successful beingness and person a superb career. More important than that, arsenic a person... the memories that remain... Jota volition stay successful our hearts forever. He volition ever beryllium contiguous astatine each breakfasts, lunches, dinners, nationalist squad gatherings, PlayStation oregon paper games.
"It's a precise pugnacious occurrence for each of us, due to the fact that we spent a batch of clip together. The memories I person with him are fantastic. These blessed memories volition remain, helium volition beryllium contiguous successful each victory. I'm definite we volition retrieve him with large joyousness each day... [It is] a precise bittersweet infinitesimal for each of us. "The No. 20 was already peculiar and present it volition beryllium adjacent much so.
"We were rivals and teammates for galore years. He became a large friend, helium was contiguous astatine my wedding. Unfortunately, I wasn't astatine his, due to the fact that I was astatine the Club World Cup. It's a household that volition ever beryllium with america and that we volition effort to preserve."
Jota and Rute had joined successful Porto connected June 22 aft knowing each different since they were children.
Manuel Linda shared a peculiar connection for Jota's 3 young children, who did not be the service.
He said: "Dear Dinis, Mafalda and Duarte, children who are not here. At this infinitesimal you endure immensely oregon possibly not due to the fact that you don't realise it. I volition commune a batch for you. The ones who endure the astir are your parent and grandparents.
"Seeing the remains of a kid indispensable beryllium a large torment, but erstwhile determination are 2 urns determination are nary words. But determination are feelings. We are present to accidental that we besides suffered a lot."
Tributes to Jota and his member have poured in, portion thousands of fans person made their mode to Anfield stadium to wage their respects to the Liverpool forward.
Jota made 182 appearances for Liverpool since joining from Wolverhampton Wonderers successful 2020. He lifted the Premier League rubric successful May, having antecedently won the FA Cup and 2 Carabao Cups successful his 5 years astatine the club.
He earned 49 caps for Portugal and precocious won the UEFA Nations League, having antecedently done truthful successful 2019. Silva played with Portuguese nine Penafiel successful the Portuguese little divisions.
Information from Reuters was utilized successful this report.
