On Saturday morning, Diogo Jota and his brother Andre’s bodies will be buried at a service in Portugal. Early on Thursday morning, the Liverpool striker’s car was involved in a fatal collision while he and his younger sibling were traveling in northern Spain.
According to reports, Jota and Andre Silva, both of whom play for Portuguese team Penafiel, were heading towards a ferry that was headed for the UK before returning to preseason training when they were involved in an accident on the A52 known as Palacios de Sanabria, close to the city of Zamora, caused by a blown-out tyre.
Both football players’ bodies were returned to Portugal on Thursday night, and a wake is planned for Friday, July 4, in the Porto neighborhood of Gondomar.On Saturday, July 5, there will be a funeral service at Igreja Matriz de Gondomar, also known as the Mother Church of Gondomar.
In honor of a national hero, mourners have been congregating on Porto’s streets, and Friday’s wake will take place at the Capelas da Ressurreicao (Chapels of the Resurrection) church in the Fontainhas neighborhood.
According to reports, the service will be closed to the public and is anticipated to be attended by Prime Minister Luis Montenegro and President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
“The bodies of the two brothers will be taken to the Easter chapel to pray tomorrow, and then there will be a funeral,” Igreja Matriz parish priest Jose Manuel Macedo told CNN Portugal. We are prepared to participate in the commemoration of life. At the same time, we share the believers’ suffering and hope.
“It is very sad news for national and international sport,” said Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco, President of the Portuguese Assembly, in describing how Jota served as an example to the Portuguese people.
“The news of Diogo Jota’s and his brother André Silva’s passing saddens us greatly. Diogo Jota is a proud football player who has always played for the Portuguese national team.
“He works very hard and has a lot of talent. His career path has made him an inspiration to many young people. In honor of these two young men and the legacy they left for the national sport, I will present a vote of condolence to the National Assembly on July 4.
In an interview with Portuguese publication Record, Dr. Miguel Goncalves, who had been working with Jota prior to the Reds star’s return to preseason training, described the Portugal international as an “unparalleled professional” who was excited to begin the new season.
Dr. Goncalves stated: “At approximately 8:30 p.m., I bid him and his brother, Andre, farewell. He chose to bring his brother along on the trip because he was a great companion and wanted to spend more time together. Since it was cooler at night, they planned to travel, but they weren’t going straight.
“He informed me that the trip would take roughly eight hours, but they would pause to rest at a hotel near Burgos. Diogo knew he was being professional. The only plan was for them to reach Santander today, board the boat, and travel 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,” Dr. Goncalves said, adding that Jota was undergoing specialized treatment for a collapsed lung but had made an “extraordinary recovery.” It was dinnertime when I bid him farewell.
“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.”
After winning the Premier League with the Reds the previous season and winning the UEFA Nations League with Portugal in June, Jota married her longtime partner Rute Cardoso on June 22 in front of their three kids.
“We lost two great people,” said Jorge Mendes, a Portuguese agent who leads the Gestifute agency that represented Jota. As a person, a husband, a son, and a professional, Diogo sets an example. It’s really challenging; I still find it hard to believe.”