
The world of sport reacts to Jota's passing

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The Sun
22 minutes ago
- The Sun
Meet the ‘BAPs' cheering on England's Lionesses in the Euros… from newlyweds who had IKEA first date to on-pitch rivals
THREE years on since they roared to victory in the Euros, England's Lionesses are hoping to retain their crown. The team take on France in their opening match on Saturday night in Zurich, before facing the Netherlands on Wednesday. 21 21 21 Once more the nation will be cheering on our girls - and no one more passionately than their BAPS - that's boyfriends and partners. Here we reveal the proud other halves of England's Lionesses. Alex Greenwood and Jack O'Connell Man City fullback Alex, 31, one of England's most experienced players, is also known as the glamour puss of the Lionesses. She is dating fellow footballer Jack O'Connell, 31, who played for Sheffield United. The couple both grew up in Merseyside and are childhood sweethearts, having met at Savio Salesian College in Bootle. Sadly Jack had to call time on his sporting career in 2023 aged just 29 due to a knee injury. He shared an emotional message on social media announcing his retirement, and paid tribute to his supportive girlfriend. Jack wrote: "To partner Alex, who has given me support through my lowest moments. "She is a supremely talented footballer and it has been a great consolation to be able to watch her career go from strength to strength. "I am her biggest fan.' 21 Inside England Lionesses' luxury Euro 2025 hotel with butler service, stunning pool and 2 Michelin star restaurant Chloe Kelly and Scott Moore 21 21 21 Man City ace Chloe, 26, from Hanwell, west London, married Scott Moore, a greenkeeper, on a stunning country estate in Cheshire last July, with Chloe's teammates Ruby Mace and Steph Houghton as bridesmaids. Chloe stunned in a sheer lace Galia Lahav bridal gown and matching veil for the ceremony which she teamed with Jimmy Choo shoes. Chloe's dogs Otis and Rolo also joined the couple on their big day and were suitably dressed in tuxedos. The couple met while Scott was working as a groundsman at Everton while she was playing there. She recalled: "One day I held the door for him, and ever since that day he kept saying he was going to message me. When he did slide into my DMs I didn't see it for ages, because it was in my requests folder, and then when I did see it I was like, 'Who is this?' "But when I saw a few people that I knew had followed him, I realised, I must know him." The lovebirds had their first date at IKEA as Chloe was moving home at the time, and have been inseparable ever since. Scott proposed in December 2023 during a trip to Lapland and reportedly caught Chloe totally off-guard. She said: 'It was such a surprise for me, despite all the clues he gave me. Before we went out on the husky ride he played all the songs that we'd always said that we'd play at our wedding. "When we were going through the snow, he said, 'Oh it looks like diamonds.' I should have known!' Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema 21 Arsenal forward Beth, 28, has been dating her Dutch teammate Vivianne Miedema, also 28, since 2022. And the couple, who share a cocker spaniel called Myle, will face their biggest challenge yet when they face each other in the group stages of the tournament. Vivianne has been selected for the Netherlands' squad - making this her third European Championships. Beth told the BBC: "It was inevitable. When the [Euros] draw was made, we both sat there and said, 'Of course that's happened!'" She added that while they keep in regular contact, when it comes to the clash the topic of football is off the table. "When it gets closer to our games, we don't talk football whatsoever," Beth said. "Obviously we want each other to do well but not against each other!" Beth has previously been in relationships with Liverpool goalie Rachael Laws when at Sunderland, and Dutch player Danielle van de Donk. Lotte Wubben-Moy and Tao Geoghegan Hart 21 21 Arsenal defender, Lotte, 26, is in a relationship with Tao Geoghegan Hart, 30, a British cyclist who currently rides for UCI World Team Ineos Grenadiers. Tao was also the winner of the 2020 Giro d'Italia, taking the pink jersey following the final day time-trial and becoming the first winner in the history of the Giro never to wear the maglia rosa until he had won it outright. Lotte and Tao went public with their relationship in March 2021 and have since shared lots of adorable pics together. The couple both grew up in East London and attended Stoke Newington School. Lotte is half Dutch and fluent in the language. Her dad is Antonius Wubben, the Dutch owner of Kaizen Furniture Makers. In January she dedicated an Instagram post to her boyfriend ahead of his racing season, writing in Dutch: "I love you. We love you." Ella Toone and Joe Bunney 21 21 Manchester United midfielder Ella, 25, is dating Joe Bunney, 31, who, awkwardly, is a devoted Manchester City fan. However Joe maintains he is Ella's "biggest cheerleader", with a source previously telling The Sun: " Ella and Joe are very much in love and have been together for a while now. "They are both from Manchester and have mutual friends who introduced them. Those who know them think they are the perfect pairing." Joe, who has two children from a previous relationship, is also a footballer and currently plays for Stalybridge Celtic. Ella's other half made headlines in March after Corrie star Ryan Prescott sued him for branding him "disgusting" on Instagram. Joe Bunney accused Ryan and actress partner Amy Lythgoe of squatting in a flat they rent from him last June. The former Bolton Wanderers player, 31, said the tenancy is up and he wants to move in his widowed grandad, 78, who had been left homeless. Ryan, 36, who plays Ryan Connor on the soap, and Amy, 30, deny the claims and have filed a £60,000 libel and defamation lawsuit at the High Court. They claim Joe's post, which was widely circulated before it was deleted, had a devastating impact. Jess Carter and Ann-Katrin Berger 21 21 Gotham defender Jess, 27, has been in a relationship with German goalie Ann-Katrin Berger since 2017. The pair first met while signed for Birmingham City in 2016, and they also played together at Chelsea three years later. Ann-Katrin, 34, recalled thinking Jess was "arrogant" when they first met, but they went on to become housemates and good friends before things became romantic between them. Jess said: 'I had broken up with my boyfriend when I moved in, but as far as I knew I was straight." In August 2017 Ann-Katrin took Jess out for a dinner date, and a few days later they were chilling at home when she went in for a kiss. Ann-Katrin said: 'I was quite nervous because I didn't know what her reaction would be. I always knew she was quite an open person, and she'd never ruled out being with a woman. "At the same time, I heard her talk about guys, so I wasn't sure.' Initially they dismissed the kiss, but it didn't take long before they gave in to their feelings for each other. Shortly after becoming a couple Ann-Katrin underwent treatment for thyroid cancer. She battled the illness again in 2022, with Jess by her side. In May last year the pair announced their engagement with a social media post that read: "7 years down forever to go." It came two months after former Chelsea manager Emma Hayes, who left the Blues to manage the US women's national team, claimed player relationships were "inappropriate". In response, Jess liked a series of posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, including one which described Emma's comments as "beyond bonkers". Emma has since backtracked on her claims, admitting she'd "let herself down", and cleared the air with Jess.


Telegraph
22 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Live Bodies of Diogo Jota and brother greeted by mourners at church in Portugal
By James Badcock in Madrid The bodies of Diogo Jota and his brother André, who died in a horrific car crash in Spain on Thursday, arrived in the Liverpool footballer's home town of Gondomar, outside Porto, just before 1am on Friday morning. Two vehicles, including a hearse, were greeted with applause and tears by locals and fans who lined the streets near the San Cosme funeral parlour and Gondomar's main church, where a funeral will take place on Saturday morning. A wake is planned for Friday afternoon in the funeral parlour and its adjoining chapel. The arrival of the bodies, to cheers of the name 'Diogo' from some members of the crowd, came almost exactly 24 hours after the two brothers had died on the A52 highway in north western Spain, where the car they were travelling in slid off the road and burst into flames. On Friday morning, Spain's Guardia Civil highway police division said that its investigation into the crash was ongoing. On Thursday, a provisional statement said that it had been caused by a tyre blow-out just as the two brothers were overtaking another vehicle on the dual carriageway. The president of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, is expected to attend the wake in Gondomar on Friday. Fans and well-wishers have begun to create shrines in memory of Diogo Jota in Gondomar. Underneath a sign for the 'Diogo Jota Academy', as the youth team training facilities of Gondomar football club were renamed in 2022, candles were lit in memory of the Portuguese international and of his younger brother, also a football player in the country's lower leagues. Scarves, shirts and pendants from various clubs including Gondomar and FC Porto, where Diogo Jota played before moving to Wolves and the Premier League, were present. The sign quotes a comment by Diogo Jota, which has become the motto of the club: 'It doesn't matter where we come from, but where we are going.' Fernando Santos, the coach who first picked Diogo Jota for the Portuguese national team, paid tribute to the player. 'What impressed me most about Diogo Jota was his character, his personality and determination to win.'


Daily Mirror
23 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Brooklyn Beckham's brother makes heartbreaking plea after Diogo Jota death
Romeo and Cruz Beckham have paid tribute to Premier League footballer Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Felipe, died in a crash in Zamora near Spain's north-west border with Portugal Romeo Beckham has shared a poignant post about 'life being too short', after being rocked by the death of footballer Diogo Jota. The 28-year-old Premier League footballer and his brother, Andre Felipe, died in a horror crash in Zamora near Spain's north-west border with Portugal. The tragic incident occurred just days after Jota's marriage to his childhood sweetheart, Rute Cardoso, who had to identify her husband and his brother after the devastating incident. After the news was made public, Romeo took to his Instagram to share a black and white photo and four broken love hearts. Romeo then followed this up with a second post about reaching out to loved ones as he. urged 'don't hold back from love.' Emotional Romeo, 22, wrote: "Life is too short. Love who you love and tell them how much you really do. Life can flash before your eyes in a moment. But the people who truly love you and care for you will always be there. DON'T hold back from love or appreciation for anything or anyone." Romeo's younger brother Cruz, also took to his Instagram stories to share a tribute to the football star. Alongside a picture of Jota, he posted a series of love heart emojis to share his sadness at the tragic news. The boys followed their dad David who earlier in the day penned touching tribute as he joined the football community reacting to the brothers' deaths. "Devastating to hear this such sad news.. Sending love to Diogo & Andre's families," he wrote. While Cruz and David's tributes were straightforward, fans of the Beckham family believe that Romeo's tribute had a cryptic underlying meaning aimed at Brooklyn who he has reportedly fallen out with in recent months. Taking to Reddit, users shared their thoughts. One wrote: "There's no denying that Romeo's words were aimed at Brooklyn. Maybe they are now starting to see clearly how silly this row is. Nothing is more important than family and when things like this happen it puts everything into perspective." Another Reddit user echoed: "I feel like Romeo is very emotionally intelligent and perhaps feels like this is a way to send a message to Brooklyn." While someone else agreed: "If something every happens to the Beckham family they will regret this for the rest of their lives. Nothing is worth falling out with your family over." Piers Morgan also shared a tribute on social media. On Twitter /X, he wrote: "Desperately sad news coming out of Spain that Liverpool and Portugal star Diogo Jota, 28, has died, along with his brother, in a car accident in Zamora. He only got married 2 weeks ago. Heart-breaking." Others paying respects on social media was footballer Harry Maguire's wife, Fern Maguire. She shared the Premier League's tribute as she wrote: "Utterly heartbreaking."