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See Photos And Video Of Moment Diogo Jota And His Brother Were Buried In Gondomar

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3 months ago

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Popular footballers Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva have been honoured by their family, friends, and teammates at a joint funeral in Portugal.

Jota, 28, was laid to rest alongside his brother, Silva, 25, after they died in a car crash on Thursday.

Hundreds of locals and supporters gathered at the Igreja Matriz in Gondomar, where the brothers are from, on Saturday.

The funeral also brought together huge names from across football, including Jota’s teammates Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson, who were seen carrying floral tributes into the church ahead of the ceremony.

The service was held in Gondomar, a small Portuguese city near Porto, that had been left reeling after the brothers died.

The Portugal forward had undergone minor surgery and doctors had advised him against flying.

The accident came just 11 days after Jota married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso, with whom he had three children.

Players from Liverpool FC, who only three months ago were celebrating their Premier League win, arrived at the funeral together.

Watching them walk in line with each other, almost as they do when walking onto the pitch, was an emotional experience.

There was a strong feeling of community, but also a shared sombreness.

Many were visibly upset, with supporters on the other side of the barrier applauding the players.

Family and close friends walked into the church in complete silence, many of them with their heads bowed down as the church bell rang.

So much was the brothers’ impact on football and their local community that some of the guests had to watch the ceremony from outside of the church, often hugging and comforting one another.

Locals and football fans in the crowd watched silently for most of the service, which went on for about an hour.

Many wore football shirts and carried merchandise from the different teams across Portugal and abroad, where Jota and Silva, who played for the local club Penafiel, spent some time.

The funeral drew hundreds of mourners, including grieving family members, friends, fans, and a large contingent from the football world.

Jota’s wife Rute and their children were joined by teammates, coaches, and international colleagues in a powerful show of unity and respect.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk and teammate Andy Robertson were seen carrying floral tributes into the church, alongside manager Arne Slot and players including Curtis Jones, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo, Joe Gomez, Ryan Gravenberch, and Conor Bradley.

A host of Portuguese national team players also attended the ceremony, including Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, João Félix, Nelson Semedo, João Moutinho, Rui Patrício, Renato Veiga, and Ruben Neves—who served as a pallbearer for Jota after flying in from Florida following Al Hilal’s Club World Cup match.

Former Liverpool midfielder Fabinho, Portugal manager Roberto Martinez, and Porto president André Villas-Boas were also in attendance.

Outside Anfield, Liverpool fans created a sea of floral tributes, while the club postponed the start of pre-season and closed club stores and museum tours out of respect. Flags were flown at half-mast, and staff were offered wellbeing support.

Recall that Jota, 28, and Silva, 26, died in the early hours of Thursday after their Lamborghini crashed and caught fire on the A-52 in Zamora, Spain.

It is believed they were en route to catch a ferry back to England, where Jota was due to report for Liverpool’s pre-season training.

Also, recall that on Friday, a wake was held at the Capela da Ressurreição in Gondomar, attended by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, and the brothers’ parents.

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