Diogo Jota's family and Liverpool staff attend wake ahead of funeral

Sky News

6 hours ago

22:09:17
We're pausing our live coverage
We will be resuming our updates tomorrow, when the funeral for Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva takes place.
Here's a recap of what's happened today...
Family mourns alongside fans at wake
Jota and Silva's wake took place at a church in their hometown of Gondomar this afternoon.
The wake was initially private and attended by the brothers' families, including Jota's wife Rute Cardoso, who he married less than two weeks before his death.
Staff from Liverpool FC, and former teammates of both Jota and Silva, were also seen arriving.
The doors of the chapel were later opened to members of the public, who queued around the square to say their final goodbyes.
Funeral details announced
The brothers' funeral is scheduled for 9am tomorrow, Gondomar's mayor's office said.
Some Liverpool players and staff are expected to attend.
More tributes pour in
Liverpool forward Mo Salah and ex-Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho were among those who today shared moving tributes to Jota and Silva.
At Anfield, former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson was seen wiping away tears as he placed a floral tribute outside the stadium.
21:44:32
The main emotion was disbelief as hundreds said a final goodbye
By Tyrone Francis, sports producer in Gondomar
A steady flow of hundreds, possibly a thousand, people queued patiently in over 30-degree heat to pay their respects at the Capela da Ressurreicao.
The small, unassuming white building, symbolic of this close-knit community, saw famous figures and members of the public alike say a final goodbye to Diogo Jota and his younger brother, Andre Silva.
Their wooden coffins were positioned a metre apart, side-by-side in the centre of a dimly-lit square room.
The hall had three walls lined with pews, full with people, reflecting on the lives of the two footballers, aged just 28 and 25.
Quiet sobs and the movement of single sheets of paper being used as fans to keep cool were the only noises audible in the room.
Emotions were sombre and visitors wiped the tears that trickled down their cheeks.
But the main emotion was one of disbelief that two skilful footballers - with their whole careers ahead of them – are gone way too early.
The caskets, surrounded by wreaths and draped in white roses, were the central focus of everyone's attention.
No one cared who else was in the room, people cried, people reflected and people prayed with their heads bowed down.
Footballers Bernardo Silva, Fabinho and Thiago Alcântara were in the room at the time.
But the most poignant image will be that of Diogo Jota's wife, who sat on the floor in between the two coffins, a place she had been since arriving in the early hours of the morning.
The queues continued outside where two books of condolence had been set up for mourners to pen their tributes.
As bells at the neighbouring church, where tomorrow's funeral service will be held, ring on the hour, every hour, this community remembers two talents, the humble guys who represented them on the grass pitch of the world's biggest stage.
20:41:01
Mourinho reflects on Jota's career
Jose Mourinho, who shared an agent with Jota, is the latest figure from the footballing world to pay tribute to the Liverpool star.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, he said: "Nothing was easy for him, he had to fight to arrive where he arrived.
"He was not chasing protagonism, protagonism found him because of his talent."
The Portuguese manager, who was speaking at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, added: "When people leave this world, normally we all say 'such a nice guy'. Diogo was really a nice guy."
20:02:01
Mourners bring flowers to public wake
A long line of mourners formed outside the Portuguese chapel where the wake took place.
Initially held in private for family, it later opened up to the public, with hundreds queuing around the 17th-century church.
Many people brought flowers and some wore Liverpool tops.
19:24:01
'It's unbearable' for Jota's parents, says former Premier League manager
Former Chelsea and Spurs boss Andre Villa-Boas has spoken to Sky News sports correspondent Rob Harris outside the wake.
Villa-Boas is now the president of Portuguese club Porto, where Andre Silva – who died with his brother in the crash on Thursday – played at youth level.
"There's nothing that can overcome the pain of the family," Villa-Boas said. "To a father, to a mother, it's unbearable."
Villa-Boas said Jota and Andre were perfect examples of "what a professional [footballer] should be".
Addressing the outpouring of tributes from the brothers' local community, Villa-Boas added: "This is something those two boys deserve."
18:43:37
Liverpool staff arrive to pay their respects
Liverpool executives and backroom staff have travelled to the church where the wake is being held.
The club's CEO, Billy Hogan, and technical director, Julian Ward, are among those who are there to pay their respects.
The men all wore black as they made their way to the wake.
As we reported earlier (see our 17.27 post), several Liverpool players and staff are expected at Jota's funeral tomorrow.
18:24:02
Portuguese president joins Jota's family and footballers at wake
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has joined the family of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre at a wake for the two footballers.
The president of the Portuguese Football Federation, Pedro Provenza, was also seen at the church in Gondomar, where the pair's bodies have been taken.
A number of footballers are also there to pay their respects.
These include Jota's former Wolves and Portugal teammate Joao Moutinho and Nottingham Forest's Jota Silva.
18:07:48
Minute's silence held at Women's Euros
Tributes to Jota are continuing at the Women's Euros tournament in Switzerland.
Players from Denmark and Sweden observed a minute of silence shortly before their match in Geneva kicked off this evening.
It comes after Spain and Portugal honoured Jota before their game last night.
17:27:28
Liverpool players to attend Jota's funeral – reports
Several Liverpool players and staff are expected at Jota's funeral tomorrow, according to The Athletic and Portuguese media.
It is believed a flight to Portugal has been chartered by the club, although no arrangements have been confirmed so far.
Some players had been due back at the side's training facilities to begin the preliminaries of pre-season testing today.
But the phased return was postponed while those at the club come to terms with Jota's death.