Pedro Neto has delivered a heartfelt tribute to Diogo Jota following the tragic passing of the Liverpool forward and his brother, Andre Silva, in a car crash on Thursday.
Local police have reported that the fatal accident occurred after a tire burst while overtaking. The bodies of both brothers were transported back to their hometown in northern Portugal before a wake took place on Friday, leading up to the funeral service at Igreja Matriz de Gondomar on Saturday.
On Saturday morning, there was a significant presence from Liverpool at the ceremony, a testament to Jota's impact, with several of his teammates traveling to Portugal to pay their respects.
Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo managed to fly in from America to Jota's birthplace just hours after Al-Hilal were knocked out of the Club World Cup by Fluminense.
But Neto played in Chelsea’s quarter-final match in the same tournament, which kicked off around eight hours before the funeral service began.
The 25-year-old winger put in an 85-minute shift in Chelsea's 2-1 victory against Palmeiras, securing their place in the semifinals against Fluminense.
Pedro Neto
Pedro Neto is at the Club World Cup with Chelsea (Image: Photo by Carl Recine - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Prior to the game, Neto shared his own tribute, stepping onto the pitch wearing a Chelsea shirt emblazoned with the names "Diogo" and "Andre." He and Enzo Fernandez displayed this touching gesture during the minute of silence.
Hours after the funeral, Neto took to Instagram to express his feelings, writing: "My sweet friend Jota. What a man, what a husband, what a father, what a partner and what a friend..
"Your endearing laugh that made us all laugh non-stop. I learned a lot from you and as you often said, 'There are no fantasies in the world'.
"You are great and you will always be and that is how we will remember you forever. We will never forget you, watch over us."
Bernardo Silva has also paid tribute to Jota
Bernardo Silva has also paid tribute to Jota (Image: Getty)
Jota and Neto were not only club teammates but also shared the pitch on the international stage. During their stint at Molineux, they played together 14 times, adding another seven appearances for the Portuguese national team.
"The last time we spoke, I congratulated Diogo on winning the Nations League and wished him luck for his forthcoming wedding," Liverpool head coach Arne Slot said in a statement on Thursday. "In many ways, it was a dream summer for Diogo and his family, which makes it all the more heartbreaking that it should end like this.
"When I first came to the club, one of the first songs I got to know was the one that our fans sing for Diogo. I had not worked with him previously but I knew straight away that if the Liverpool supporters, who have seen so many great players over the years, had such a unique chant for Diogo, he must have special qualities."