Credit: PA
Liverpool players and staff past and present have arrived in Portugal to pay their respects at Diogo Jota’s funeral following the 28-year-old forward's death in a car crash in Spain.The father-of-three, who married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso 11 days before the accident, was killed 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.
Reds manager Arne Slot, captain Virgil van Dijk, defender Andrew Robertson, midfielder Alexis Mac Allister and former team-mates Jordan Henderson and James Milner could be seen in Portugal on Friday evening on footage from local media.
Wolves and Portugal player Nelson Semedo (far left) arrives at the funeral. Credit: PA
The funeral is set to begin at 10am on Saturday, according to parish priest at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar in Sao Cosme, Jose Manuel Macedo.It comes after 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 the town of Gondomar near Porto on Friday, with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro and Jota’s agent also among attendees.
Jota and Silva were both found dead after the car crashed on the A-52 in Palacios de Sanabria near the city of Zamora at 12.40am on Thursday.
Manchester City and Portugal player Ruben Dias arrives at ceremony in the town of Gondomar, near Porto. Credit: PA
Subscribe free toour weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning.
Police said they were investigating the possibility that the Lamborghini left the road because of a tyre blowout while overtaking, and a source from the government sub-delegation in Zamora confirmed “a possible speeding incident” was being looked at.Pictures of the aftermath of the crash showed debris scattered along the side of the road including what appeared to be charred parts of the vehicle.No other vehicles are said to have been involved in the incident.
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...