The Liverpool player died in a car crash on Thursday
Oasis paid tribute to Diogo Jota at their gig tonight
Oasis paid tribute to Diogo Jota at their gig tonight
Oasis paid tribute to Liverpool forward Diogo Jota on the first night of their reunion tour. Jota, 28, was travelling with his brother, Andre Silva, in northern Spain when his car was involved in a fatal accident in the early hours of Thursday, July 3.
Emergency services were called to the scene shortly after midnight but Jota and his younger sibling, who himself played for Portuguese second-tier team Penafiel, were pronounced dead. Their bodies were returned to their homeland of Portugal on Thursday evening with a wake held in Gondomar on Friday morning (July 4) and their funeral service to come on Saturday morning (July 5).
At tonight's gig in Cardiff, which is Oasis' first of their comeback tour, the band paid tribute to Jota. As Noel Gallagher sang 'Live Forever', a picture of the Portuguese forward in a Liverpool shirt appeared on the stadium's screen. The crowd reacted by cheering and applauding the gesture.
Floral tributes have been laid out by supporters outside Anfield since the news of Jota's death, with hundreds coming to pay their own tributes to a popular member of Arne Slot's Premier League title-winning team.
A book of condolences has also been opened at the stadium and Jordan Henderson, who captained the Reds to every major trophy, including the Champions League and Premier League between the years of 2019 and 2022, also made an appearance today.
An emotional Henderson, whose 12-year career at Anfield saw him play alongside Jota for three, paid his respects alongside fans outside the ground on Friday morning.
Delivering a wreath with a note attached, Henderson's message read: "Rest in peace my friend, along with your brother Andre. We will all miss you. Love Hendo + family xx".
The scenes outside Anfield on Friday.
The scenes outside Anfield on Friday.(Image: MARK NAFTALIN/AFP via Getty Images)
Writing on his Instagram account on Thursday, Henderson said: “I really can’t believe what has happened today and all I can think about is Diogo and Andre’s family.
A wake for the brothers was also held at Sao Cosme Chapel in the town of Gondomar near Porto today. Jota played for Gondomar as a teenager and its academy was named after him in 2022.
People in Gondomar went to the academy today to pay tribute, laying shirts and flowers outside the building.
Among those pictured arriving at the chapel in Gondomar for the wake, were Liverpool staff Richard Hughes, Lee Nobes, Jonathan Power and Amit Pannu.
Also pictured arriving at Capela da Ressurreicao to pay their respects were Michael Edwards, Fenway Sports Group’s CEO of Football, and Julian Ward, who also works for FSG. Edwards signed Jota in his previous role as Liverpool sporting director back in September 2020, with the Reds bringing in the forward in a deal worth up to £45 million from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Jota's teammate at Liverpool, Fabinho, has also been pictured arriving at the wake, as have Portugal internationals Bernardo Silva, Diogo Dalot, Joao Moutinho, Jose Fonte and Andre Silva.
The public wake has been an all-day occasion, with mourners still continuing to join the queue to enter the chapel and pay their respects to Jota and his brother in their hometown.
The Liverpool striker and his 26-year-old sibling died on Thursday (July 3) after a tyre blew out on their car, resulting in a crash when attempting to overtake on the A52, known as the Palacios de Sanabria, according to local police.