Liverpool players travelled to Diogo Jota’s hometown on Saturday morning to attend the funeral of their late teammate and his brother, André Silva.
The car accident occurred in the early hours of Thursday when the 28-year-old and his brother lost their lives in a Lamborghini crash in Zamora, northwestern Spain.
A wake was held on Friday, followed by the funeral at 10 a.m. at Igreja Matriz de Gondomar, located around 16km inland from Porto in their hometown of Gondomar.
Photos showed a group of Liverpool players and staff arriving at the church, with Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson seen carrying wreaths in honour of Jota.
Darwin Núñez was also present at the funeral, alongside former Liverpool teammates Thiago Alcântara and Fabinho, who came to pay their respects.
Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva and Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes were also present, joining a large group of Portugal national team players who came to pay their respects. They gathered alongside Diogo and André’s family inside the church.
The two coffins arrived shortly after 10 a.m., marking the beginning of the funeral mass.
Liverpool did not confirm any arrangements but local reports suggest the club chartered a flight to Portugal on Friday.
Many of Liverpool’s players were still on summer holiday with their planned return to Merseyside for the start of pre-season training now postponed.
Liverpool are reportedly planning to retire Diogo Jota’s No. 20 shirt in his honour, with Portuguese outlets claiming the club has already decided to pay out the remainder of his contract to support his family.
According to Record, Jota’s wife, Rute Cardoso—whom he married just 11 days before his passing—and their three young children will receive the full value of his remaining two-year deal.
Football matches across the world have been marked by a minute’s silence ahead of kick-off in memory of Jota and his brother.
Portugal’s opening match of the women’s European Championship also struck a poignant tone with players linking arms in silence.
