Diogo Jota’s wife and family joined by Liverpool players for funeral
Diogo Jota’s wife and family have been joined by Liverpool players for the funeral of the footballer and his brother in Portugal, following their death in a car crash in Spain.
The father-of-three, who married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso 11 days before the accident, died alongside his brother, Andre Silva, after a Lamborghini they were travelling in burst into flames following a suspected tyre blowout in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The coffins of Jota and Silva were carried into Igreja Matriz de Gondomar church in the town of Gondomar near Porto on Saturday morning, followed by mourners.
A church bell tolled and crowds applauded as the brothers’ coffins were carried into the church, followed by mourners, some with their arms around each other.
Others seen arriving at the church included Reds manager Arne Slot, captain Virgil Van Dijk and team-mates including Andy Robertson, Conor Bradley, Ryan Gravenberch, Cody Gakpo, Curtis Jones, Darwin Nunez and Joe Gomez.
Also at the funeral for the Portuguese international were his national team-mates Bruno Fernandes, of Manchester United; Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva, of Manchester City; Joao Felix and Renato Veiga, of Chelsea; Nelson Semedo, from Wolves; Joao Moutinho, Rui Patricio and Ruben Neves, as well as former Liverpool player Fabinho, Porto FC president Andre Villas-Boas and Portugal national team manager Roberto Martinez.
Some of the players carried wreaths shaped like football shirts as they arrived at the church.
Family and friends gathered for the brothers’ wake on Friday, with a queue forming outside the Portuguese chapel.
The brothers’ parents attended the Sao Cosme Chapel, the Capela da Ressurreicao, in Gondomar, with Portuguese President Marcelo