A joint-funeral for Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva was held on Saturday morning
Wreaths in shape of football jerseys are displayed at the entrance of the cemetery after the funeral ceremony of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva
Wreaths in shape of football jerseys are displayed at the entrance of the cemetery after the funeral ceremony of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva
(Image: (MIGUEL RIOPA/AFP via Getty Images) )
Liverpool players and staff joined the family and friends of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva for their funeral in Gondomar on Saturday. A service for the two siblings was held at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar church in their hometown, near Porto, following their deaths in a car crash on Thursday.
The tragedy occurred shortly after midnight in northern Spain, with reports claiming a burst tyre was the cause of the accident when attempting to overtake. Members of the Liverpool squad joined thousands who turned out to pay their respects on Saturday morning, with Virgil van Dijk and Andrew Robertson leading mourners with two touching red wreaths in the shape of football shirts emblazoned with Jota’s No 20 and his brother’s No 30.
And following the service, FC Penafiel, the club who Andre played for, released a statement on Instagram to say thanks to all those who have messaged support and sent their condolences.
“Futebol Clube de Penafiel SAD deeply thanks all the messages of support, condolences and feelings that have reached us in various forms over the last few days,” the post read.
“At a particularly difficult time for our entire Penafiel family, it is with great gratitude that we acknowledge each word, gesture and demonstration of affection. Thank you!”
Speaking outside the church following the service, Portugal manager Roberto Martinez said: “I can only say that these are very, very sad days.
“Today was a demonstration for Diogo and André that we are all together and that we are Portugal. Now, I would like to thank everyone for their presence, for all the messages from all over the world. We are with André Silva and Diogo Jota. Always, always with us.”
And Bernardo Silva reflected: “I can’t even imagine the pain of the family, of Rute, of the children, of the parents. For Andre and for Jota.
“I must say a little about Jota, who was a great friend of all of us. His career, although not the most important, speaks for itself. He didn’t train at any of the big teams and took the most difficult paths. His passion, will and determination allowed him to succeed in life and have a brilliant career.
“More important than that, as a person... the memories that remain... Jota will always be in our hearts. He will always be present at every breakfast, lunch, dinner, national team get-together, PlayStation or card game.”