Former Liverpool star Diogo Jota was laid to rest on Saturday, but sick selfie seekers rushed into the graveyard to take photos prompting officials to close the cemetery
14:00, 05 Jul 2025Updated 14:10, 05 Jul 2025
The graveyard where Diogo Jota was buried has been shut due to selfie-seeking fans.
Former Liverpool player Diogo tragically passed away in the early hours of Thursday morning (July 3) after being involved in a serious car crash. The star was believed to be racing to catch a ferry to the UK in order to prepare for the pre-season.
On Saturday morning (July 5), Diogo's funeral was held his hometown of Gondomar near Porto in northern Portugal. Following a wake for the footballer held on Friday (July 4), Jota's body was finally laid to rest in a heartbreaking moment for the family, but passed respectfully, according to the Mirror.
Several important figures from the world of football attended the sombre ceremony at the Matriz de Gondomar church. These included some of Jota's teammates from Liverpool, including Andy Robertson and Virgil van Dijk, as well as a host Portuguese international players.
Virgil van Dijk
Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk led the procession for Diogo Jota as he was laid to rest(Image: Getty Images)
But shortly after Diogo was buried in the graveyard - together with his brother Andre Silva - officials had to close the resting place to the public. This was because several members of the public had to be removed after they demanded pictures of the grave.
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Following Diogo's burial, the graveyard was reopened to the public, but was forced to be closed again a short time after due to what officials branded "disrespectful" behaviour. It later was revealed that several fans had gone to the grave to take selfies next to where Diogo was now resting.
Diogo and his brother Andre had been racing down a road when the Lamborghini they were travelling in spun off the road in northwestern Spain. The car then caught fire, killing both brothers in the horrifying collision that stunned the footballing world.
Ruben Dias
Several selfie-seeking fans rushed into the graveyard to take photos with the grave, prompting it to be closed(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Former Wolves teammate, as well as Portugal international, João Neves, deliberately returned to his home country to attend the funeral. He had been in the United States playing in the Club World Cup just hours prior to the funeral - and did his part by helping to carry Diogo's coffin.
The footballer had only just tied the knot with his darling wife Rute in an intimate ceremony just two weeks before his tragic death. In the emotional funeral, Bishop of Porto Dom Manuel Linda fought back tears as he said during the service that he would pray "a lot" for them.
Diogo's three children were not in attendance at the funeral, but Bishop Linda explained why they opted to stay away from the ceremony. "If it is difficult to see an adult cry, it is even more difficult to see a child cry.
Thiago Alcantara
A number of Diogo's teammates - both from clubs and international players - attended the heartbreaking funeral(Image: Getty Images)
"The ones who suffer a lot are your mother and your grandparents," the faith leader continued. "Seeing the mortal remains of a child must be a greater torment, but when there are two urns there are no words."
Investigations into the crash remain ongoing as Portugal continues to mourn the loss of one of its up-and-coming stars. Diogo's death prompted responses from many of his teammates who offered their own tributes, including Mo Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo.
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