On Saturday morning, Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva were buried at a service in Portugal.
At 10 a.m., a sizable group of Liverpool supporters, including Darwin Nunez, Andy Roberson, and captain Virgil van Dijk, attended the striker’s and his younger brother’s funeral at Igreja Matriz de Gondomar, also known as the Mother Church of Gondomar.
Ryan Gravenberch, Cody Gakpo, head coach Arne Slot, and three other people were also present: Alexis Mac Allister, Joe Gomez, and Conor Bradley. Football CEO Michael Edwards and Sporting director Richard Hughes were present.
Shortly before the service began, Van Dijk and Robertson, a close friend of Jota, were spotted carrying flowers in remembrance of the team’s No. 20 and his 25-year-old brother.
The Reds players were joined by former teammates Caoimhin Kelleher, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, and Fabinho, who attended Friday’s wake along with Jota’s Portugal international teammates Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias of Manchester City.
Joaquim and Isabel Silva, the parents of the two players, were present, as was Rute Cardoso, who married her long-term partner less than two weeks ago.
Thiago Alcantara, who joined the club in September 2020 along with Jota, was present with his spouse, Julia.
Although only family and friends were allowed inside the church on that particular day, the public could watch a livestream of the service as hundreds more people came to pay their respects to the well-liked forward and his brother, who played for the second-tier team Penafiel.
In the eulogy, Manuel Linda, the Bishop of Porto, stated: “These two young men who have passed away will be given new life by our faith in God. We must believe in resurrection and a new life, and we must have hope and faith. Those who have faith will live forever.
“I could say a lot about Diogo and Andre, their father prayed in the church and both Diogo and Andre made it [as professional footballers] because of their effort, their dedication, their sacrifices. They were very respectful to others, both local fathers and quiet and dedicated to their families.
“Extraordinary people, they were. That is why so many people are here. Two responsible, serious men of faith, known all over the world because of sport.
“They were very skilled football players, particularly Diogo and in their case, this church did a lot to promote their sports. Football brings people together and builds bridges between different people when it is done with honesty, values, discipline, team work, no ego, respect, peace and understanding. These are the values of sports.
“We are speaking to you (Jota’s children) because we are so sad to see children crying when this is the reason. But our friend Jesus said those who aren’t sensitive will not be in heaven.
“I would like to express my support to your mother, your family and Jesus is here to help us. Your father and uncle are beside Jesus in this new life, in peace. May Jesus comfort you with faith and hope.”
As well-wishers gathered outside the church to offer their final tributes to the brothers, the hour-long mass concluded with the hymn Ave Maria. Following the 10 a.m. service, a more intimate gathering for the family took place.
Despite playing in the United States just over 12 hours prior, Al-Hilal players Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo were also present. They were clearly upset during a minute’s silence for Jota during their Club World Cup match against Brazil’s Fluminense on Friday night.
In addition to a delegation from Fenway Sports Group, which included Edwards and technical directors Julian Ward and Pedro Marques, Liverpool was represented at the wake on Friday by sporting director Hughes and his assistant, David Woodfine.
Prime Minister Luis Montenegro and President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa were present as the nation continued to process the death of a national hero who was instrumental in the Seleccao’s victory in the UEFA Nations League last month.
Joao Moutinho, who played with Jota at Wolverhampton Wanderers, Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot, and former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas attended the wake, which was held at Capelas da Ressurreicao (Chapels of the Resurrection) church in the Fontainhas neighborhood.
Following the release of their bodies from the Institute of Legal Medicine in Zamora, Jota and his brother were repatriated across the Iberian border on Thursday evening. Their deadly vehicle collision happened in the north.
According to reports, Jota and Andre Silva were heading towards a ferry that was headed for the UK before returning to preseason training when the incident occurred on the A52, also known as Palacios de Sanabria, close to the city of Zamora. It was caused by a burst tyre.
Jota was reportedly returning to England by sea after being advised not to fly following surgery for a collapsed lung, according to reports in Portugal.
According to Record in Portugal, Dr. Miguel Goncalves, who reportedly worked with Jota to address the lung condition, said: “I said goodbye to him and his brother, Andre, at around 8.30pm (on July 3).”
“His brother was a great companion and decided to go with him, to accompany him on the trip, and that way they would also spend more time together. They were going to travel at night because it was cooler, but they weren’t going direct.
“He told me that the journey would take about eight hours, but that they would stop at a hotel in the Burgos area to rest. Diogo was very aware of his professionalism. They were only supposed to arrive in Santander today, catch the boat and then go to England.
“The family would arrive later by plane, organize their lives over the weekend and then, on Monday, they had a medical appointment scheduled in Liverpool to assess the situation.”
“I started working with him last Saturday and I was with him every day until this Wednesday. I said goodbye to him at dinner time. “He made an extraordinary recovery, he was undoubtedly an unparalleled professional. He strictly followed what I told him, as you could see in the way he was recovering.
“The base of his right lung had collapsed a little, but with the post-surgery physiotherapy he was practically flawless. When I left him yesterday he was no longer in pain and was going to return to Liverpool.
“He was excited, confident in his recovery and enthusiastic about the next season. He told me that he would not go on the pre-season tour that Liverpool is going to Japan to strengthen his recovery, he believed he was going to have a great season.”
Slot and his players regrouped at the AXA Centre to begin their summer schedule, with Jota expected to resume pre-season training the following week. Following the 28-year-old’sdeath,plans to return in phases were delayed, with some members of the squad originally scheduled to return on Friday.
Since Jota’s death was announced on Thursday morning, tributes have been pouring in. Among those who took to social media to express their condolences were Sir Kenny Dalglish, Jurgen Klopp, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Slot, the Reds manager, said: “What should I say? At this moment, when the shock and pain are so intensely raw, what can anyone say? Iwish Icould say that, but I know I do not.
“All I have are emotions that I know a lot of people will have about a person, a player, and a family that we hold in the highest regard.
“I don’t think like a football manager at first. These members of Diogo and Andre Silva’s family—a father, a son, a brother, and an uncle—have suffered an unfathomable loss.
“I want them to know that you will never walk alone. The Liverpool Football Club’s players, staff, and supporters are all with you, and based on what I’ve witnessed today, the same can be said for the larger football community.
This isn’t just a reaction to the tragedy. Additionally, it is a response to the kindness of those involved and the admiration that so many people have for the boys as individuals and for the family as a whole.
“As a club, we are completely shocked. Diogo was more than just a player for us. We all loved him. He was incredibly unique in all of his roles as a teammate, coworker, and colleague.
“I could go on and on about the contributions he made to our team, but the fact is that everyone who watched Diogo play could see it. Hard work, ambition, dedication, excellence, and objectives. What a Liverpool player ought to be.
“There were also the parts that not everyone got to see. The person who never sought popularity but found it anyway. Not a friend to two people, a friend to everyone. Someone who made others feel good about themselves just by being with them. A person who cared deeply for his family.
“The last time we spoke, I congratulated Diogo on winning the Nations League and wished him luck for his forthcoming wedding. In many ways, it was a dream summer for Diogo and his family, which makes it all the more heartbreaking that it should end like this.
“When the time is right, we will celebrate Diogo Jota, we will remember his goals and we will sing his song. For the time being, we will remember him as a unique human being and mourn his loss. He will never be forgotten. His name is Diogo.”
An image of Jota wearing his No. 20 Liverpool shirt was displayed during the rock band Oasis’s performance of their hit song Live Forever on Friday night as part of their reunion tour, which was their first performance in 16 years.