The passing of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva has left the soccer world in mourning.
The deaths of two men in their 20s, who have left behind grieving parents and, in the case of Jota, a widow and three children, has resulted in an outpouring of emotion and sadness from across the sporting landscape.
It just seems unfathomable that both died in such tragic circumstances, with a tyre in Jota’s Lamborghini blowing out as he drove through northern Spain in the early hours of Thursday morning, causing the vehicle to skid off the road and burst into flames. Both brothers were pronounced dead at the scene.
There has been some confusion since the crash as to why the siblings have different surnames. The answer is quite simple, and in fact, they shared the surname "Silva".
Jota’s full name is Diogo Jose Texeira da Silva, with Jota coming from “Diogo Jose”. That was shortened to “Diogo J” on the back of his shirt.
In Portuguese, “J” is pronounced as “Jota”, hence the name he adopted, one that Premier League supporters became so accustomed to.
Jota pictured (far right) with his wife Rute and younger brother Andre, who played in the Portuguese second tier
Jota pictured (far right) with his wife Rute and younger brother Andre, who played in the Portuguese second tier (Image: Diogo Jota Instagram)
Jota first made the move to England in 2017, spending a year in the Championship with Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he helped the side gain promotion to the Premier League.
He went on to play 131 times for Wolves, scoring 44 goals, before moving to Liverpool in 2020. He made 182 appearances in red, netting on 65 occasions, the last of was the sole goal in April’s Merseyside derby victory.
Jota and his brother are to be buried on Saturday in their home town of Gondomar, with the wake taking place on Friday.
A memorial is set up for Diogo Jota at Gondomar Sport Club.
A memorial has been set up for Diogo Jota at Gondomar Sport Club.
Tributes have been left outside the local club, whose academy has been named after Jota. Flowers, shirts, scarves and other mementos have also been placed at Anfield as the club and its followers continue to mark the loss of the 28-year-old.
Former club captain Jordan Henderson was among those to pay his respects at the ground on Friday, while a book of condolence has been opened at Anfield for fans to sign. An online version has also been made available.
The likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have sent messages of support in the wake of the tragedy, as have the Prime Ministers of the UK and Portugal.
A minute’s silence preceded matches at the women’s Euros on Thursday, as will be the case on Friday, while games at this weekend’s Club World Cup will also be commemorated in a similar fashion.