Tragedy Strikes: Funeral of Diogo Jota and André Silva
GONDOMAR, Portugal (AP) — Family, friends, and teammates from Liverpool and Portugal’s national team gathered on Saturday for the funeral of Diogo Jota and his brother, who tragically lost their lives in a car accident in Spain just two days prior.
Liverpool captain Virgil Van Dijk arrived with a floral tribute shaped like a soccer shirt featuring Jota’s No. 20. His teammate Andrew Robertson carried a similar arrangement with No. 30, representing Jota’s brother, André Silva, a player for the Portuguese club Penafiel. Coach Arne Slot was also present as part of the Liverpool delegation.
Portugal international Rúben Neves served as a pallbearer for Jota, following his team’s match at the Club World Cup in the U.S. Neves, along with João Cancelo, had played in Orlando just a day before and attended the funeral after their team, Al Hilal, was eliminated. Both players had expressed their grief during a minute of silence held before their match.
The service took place at the Igreja Matriz church in Gondomar, where Jota had resided. Church bells rang at 10:00 a.m. local time as mourners gathered for the emotional farewell. Pallbearers carried the caskets into the church, followed by hundreds of family members and friends, including players from Gondomar FC, where Jota began his soccer journey at age nine.
Portugal’s national coach Roberto Martínez attended, joined by prominent Portuguese players like Bernardo Silva and Rúben Dias from Manchester City, and Bruno Fernandes from Manchester United. Martínez remarked, “These are really, really sad days, as you can imagine. But today we showed we are a large, close family… Their spirit will be with us forever.”
The funeral mass, led by the bishop of Porto, Manuel Linda, was attended by a full congregation, with some having to listen outside via loudspeaker. Following the service, the coffins were taken to a nearby cemetery for burial. Jota, 28, and Silva, 25, were tragically found deceased near Zamora in northwestern Spain after their vehicle crashed and caught fire.
Reports indicate that the brothers were on their way to catch a boat from northern Spain to England. Spanish authorities are investigating the crash, which appears to have been caused by a blown tire, according to preliminary findings.
Jota’s untimely passing came just two weeks after his wedding to long-time partner Rute Cardoso, during a vacation following a long season where he played a vital role in Liverpool’s Premier League victory. The couple shared three children, the youngest born last year. His death elicited an overwhelming response of condolences from the soccer community and officials across Portugal.
