The football world united as Diogo Jota and Andre Silva were laid to rest today in an emotional service
Virgil van Dijk (C) and Andrew Robertson (R) carry floral tributes for the funeral of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, in Gondomar, Portugal,
Virgil van Dijk (C) and Andrew Robertson (R) carry floral tributes for the funeral of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, in Gondomar, Portugal,
(Image: ESTELA SILVA/EPA/Shutterstock)
The last time I saw Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson in the flesh, they were holding the Premier League trophy during Liverpool FC's victory parade. It was difficult to hold back the tears when I saw them again today, as they led a delegation of Reds' players into the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar church for Diogo Jota and Andre Silva's funeral.
The mood couldn't have been more different this time, as they held floral tributes bearing the shirt numbers worn by the two brothers who tragically died in a car accident this week. Seeing the Reds' stars hit me like a hammer blow, as the sharp juxtaposition from those jubilant scenes in May highlighted just how incomprehensible the tragedy of the past few days has been to take.
Since news of the untimely deaths of Jota and Silva emerged, it has felt like a surreal nightmare the world will surely soon wake up from. Surely life can't be so cruel that two young family men, who represented their communities so proudly, could have their lives so suddenly taken away from them?
Today's funeral was another harrowing reminder of the reality we have somehow been confronted with, but will never be able to process. The brothers were laid to rest this morning in an incredibly emotional service in their hometown of Gondomar, located just 7km east of Porto.
The ECHO was in attendance from a designated media spot, in accordance with the family's wishes, so that members of the public could pay their respects to two people who mattered so much. Jota and Silva were more than just footballers - and this couldn't have been clearer with the way locals lined the streets, hours before the service had started at 10am, just so they could pay tribute.
So many people turned up to show their respects at the funeral that the church soon filled up - and many had to stand outside during the service. However, the service was broadcast on a loudspeaker, which meant anyone who wasn't in the church could still pay tribute, and those stood outside held a respectful silence throughout the hour long funeral.
Just like the community of Gondomar, the footballing world also united together to show their respect to Jota and Silva. Figures from Liverpool's past and present comforted eachother after the service ended as Pep Lijnders, Jordan Henderson and James Milner gathered alongside Arne Slot and the rest of the current Reds' players, following the funeral.
In addition to the Liverpool FC team, figures from across the game, many from Porto and the Portugal national side, arrived to mourn together and pay tribute to two people who will be missed so much. Former Everton FC boss and current manager of Portugal, Roberto Martinez, was the first I saw arrive.
He was closely followed by a number of Portuguese star players, which included Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva. In the face of such horrible tragedy, the only thing we have is each other and Martinez summed it up best when he referenced how the world has united to show their support after the tragic losses. He told the ECHO and other press: "We are together.
"The world has been together and their spirit will be with us forever. Thank you for all of your messages and support. Today we are one football family."
Jota and Silva may have been laid to rest, but the outpouring of emotion today was proof that their legacy and impact will never be forgotten.
The two have left their mark on their communities, who will never be able to process how unfairly and cruelly they have been taken from them.
As the dust settled on a difficult morning and everyone in attendance at the service had left the premises of the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar, the mood strikingly shifted when a family arrived for a wedding that was set to take place in the same church later that afternoon. While this felt surreal, a happy family wedding is exactly the sort of thing that should be happening on a sunny Saturday in Portugal.
Just like seeing van Dijk and Robertson with the tributes, it was another sharp juxtaposition that hammered home the horror of the past few days. Today should have been a Saturday like any other, it was tragically anything but.