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How Diogo Jota helped boyhood club build new a stand

Image Credits: Getty Images

Paulo Goncalves, the technical secretary of club Pacos de Ferreira, has revealed how Diogo Jota impacted his boyhood side.

The former Liverpool man was laid to rest on Saturday in his hometown of Gondomar.

The scenes were nothing short of heartbreaking.

Jota’s wife, Rute Cardoso, who had married him just 11 days before the tragic accident, was seen collapsing with grief as pallbearers carried his coffin from the church

Liverpool’s contingent, led by manager Arne Slot and captain van Dijk, arrived at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar carrying floral tributes that spoke volumes about their loss.

Van Dijk’s tribute bore Jota’s number 20, while Andy Robertson carried one honoring André Silva’s number 30, worn during his time with Portuguese club Penafiel.

The funeral service itself was conducted with the kind of dignity that Jota’s life deserved, but the pain was unmistakable.

Tributes, anecdotes, and experiences for Jota have been pouring in since the tragic accident.

And one of those comes from FC Paços de Ferreira secretary Paulo Goncalves, who reveals how Diogo Jota helped construct their new stand.

He explains that the proceeds from Jota’s 2016 transfer to Atletico Madrid enabled Paços de Ferreira to transform their stadium infrastructure, funding the construction of what became known as the “Diogo Jota stand”:

“We call that the Diogo Jota stand,” said Paulo Goncalves to the Athletic.

Outside, Goncalves pointed to the far end of the pitch.

“That was where he scored his first goal,” he said. He pointed towards the tribune. “He ran and hugged his mum over there.”

Jota’s move to Atletico Madrid reportedly saw the La Liga side fork over €7 million for his services in 2016 – a huge amount for a second-division club to receive like Pacos.

As Liverpool’s players prepare to return to training on Tuesday, they’ll be carrying more than just the weight of expectations for the upcoming season.

They’ll be carrying the memory of a teammate who showed them that success doesn’t have to mean forgetting where you came from, and that the biggest stages in football are made more meaningful by remembering the smallest ones that got you there.

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