Touching moment ex-Liverpool captain lays flowers for Diogo Jota – as family gathers for funeral
Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva, 25, were killed on Wednesday night local time when a tyre on the star's Lamborghini blew out and the car hurtled off the road, catching fire.
Jota's and Silva's funerals will be held on Saturday morning in their hometown of Gondomar near the Portuguese city of Porto, The Sun reports.
Mourners gathered in Portugal on Friday ahead of the brothers' public wake to be followed by a funeral.
The family and the bodies travelled for legal formalities to the locality of Puebla de Sanabria, where two hearses could be seen outside a funeral home and influential Portuguese football agent Jorge Mendes.
Jota's Liverpool teammates have spoken of their struggle to comprehend his death, with captain Virgil van Dijk writing on Instagram that he was 'absolutely devastated and in total disbelief'.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot said everyone associated with the club owed it to Jota to 'stand together and be there for one another'.
Jota had married his partner Rute Cardoso on June 22, posting a video of their wedding on Instagram just hours before the accident. They had three children.
Portuguese and UK media reported Jota was driving to the northern Spanish port of Santander to take a ferry to England, avoiding a flight on medical advice after a recent lung operation.
The first group of Slot's Liverpool squad were scheduled to be at the club's training complex on Friday for the opening round of physical tests after their post-season break.
But their return has reportedly been pushed back until Monday. Liverpool's first pre-season match is against Preston on July 13. The club have opened a book of condolence and lowered flags to half-mast. Fans have left flowers, scarfs and shirts at a makeshift shrine outside Anfield and there are similar scenes at Wolves' Molineux Stadium, where Jota played previously.
'Family mourning'
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who brought Jota to the Reds in 2020, said he was 'heartbroken' in an Instagram post, while the club spoke of an 'unimaginable loss'.
Current boss Arne Slot described Jota as a 'unique human being' and a 'friend to everyone'.
A sea of shirts, scarfs, flowers, balloons, photographs and banners lay outside the club's Anfield stadium as fans flocked to pay tribute.
'It is just so raw. It is like a family mourning,' said Tom Barry, a 32-year-old mechanic who was wearing a red Liverpool shirt with Jota's name and number on the back.
Portuguese also woke up stunned to the news, with retiree Jose Zambujinho, 69, saying he was mourning 'an incalculable loss'.
'I was depressed when I heard the news … Portugal has lost a great player,' Caramo Cassama, a 39-year-old security guard, told AFP in Lisbon.
Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said Jota 'greatly honoured Portugal's name', while his former clubs Porto, Atletico Madrid and Wolverhampton Wanderers were among the string of footballing and political figures expressing shock and condolences.
Both players 'will be commemorated not only for their footballing talent, but also for their personal and human qualities', Porto president Andre Villas-Boas said in a statement.
'We are heartbroken. Diogo was adored by our fans, loved by his teammates and cherished by everyone who worked with him … the memories he created will never be forgotten,' Wolves said.
Portugal and Spain observed a moment of silence before their Women's Euro 2025 match in Switzerland, with UEFA announcing all games at the tournament would do so on Thursday and Friday.
Jota scored nine goals in all competitions last season as Liverpool cruised to their record-equalling 20th English league title.
Capped 49 times by Portugal, Jota moved to England in 2017 with Wolves and earned a £45 million ($62 million) move to Liverpool three years later.
His goalscoring prowess quickly made him a fans' favourite, as he netted 65 times for the Reds in five years and lifted the League Cup and FA Cup in the 2021/22 season.
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The Age
26 minutes ago
- The Age
Sporting stars, UK leaders pay tribute to Liverpool FC's Diogo Jota after car crash death
Jota, 28, began playing for his country as a teenager and represented Portugal at the 2022 World Cup, after making his mark in Britain with the Wolverhampton Wanderers. He signed with Liverpool for a reported £41 million ($85 million) in 2020 and was a star forward in the club's victory in the Premier League this year. Silva, 26, was a professional footballer for Portuguese team Penafiel. In an outpouring of acclaim and grief, the news triggered statements on social media from tennis champion Rafael Nadal, former Liverpool FC manager Jurgen Klopp, basketballer LeBron James – a minority owner of Liverpool FC – and football legend David Beckham. 'Devastating to hear this such sad news,' Beckham, the former England captain, wrote on social media. 'Sending love to Diogo & Andre's families.' The Prince of Wales – who is the patron of the Football Association – expressed his condolences. 'As part of the footballing family, I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Diogo Jota and his brother,' Prince William said. 'Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and all who knew him.' Players from Chelsea, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain marked the passing of the brothers with moments of silence while competing in the US for the Club World Cup. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said millions of football fans would be shocked at the news, while Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner laid flowers in Liverpool to pay tribute to the local star. Liverpool FC said the club was devastated at the tragic news. 'The club have been informed the 28-year-old has passed away following a road traffic accident in Spain along with his brother, Andre,' it said. 'Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request the privacy of Diogo and Andre's family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss. 'We will continue to provide them with our full support.' The Portuguese Football Federation said Jota was 'more than a fantastic player' with almost 50 caps for the national team. 'Diogo Jota was an extraordinary person, respected by all his teammates and opponents, someone with an infectious joy and a reference in the community itself,' it said in a statement. Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said Jota had 'greatly honoured Portugal's name'. 'The news of the death of Diogo Jota, an athlete who greatly honoured Portugal's name, and his brother is unexpected and tragic,' he said. Spain's Guardia Civil confirmed the two deaths in a statement shortly before 7pm AEST. 'The information we have so far is that the car, which was a Lamborghini, was in a road traffic accident and left the road due to a tyre blowout while overtaking,' it said. 'It was in the early hours ... in the municipality of Cernadilla in the province of Zamora. The car caught on fire and the two occupants were killed.' The statement said the accident occurred soon after midnight, local time – about 10am AEST on Thursday. Jota married his long-term partner, Rute Cardoso, in a church ceremony on June 22, with their three children joining them. Jota helped Liverpool win the Premier League in May, and also won the FA Cup and League Cup with the Reds. He scored 65 goals in 182 appearances for Liverpool in all competitions. He also made 49 appearances for Portugal, twice winning the UEFA Nations League. UEFA announced a minute's silence would be held before all matches at the Women's Euro 2025 on Thursday and Friday. Portugal were due to play Spain in their opening fixture on Friday morning (AEDT).
News.com.au
6 hours ago
- News.com.au
Salah 'frightened' to return to Liverpool as fans mourn tragic Jota
Mohamed Salah said the death of Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota in a car crash had left him "frightened" to return to the club as devastated fans swarmed to Anfield to pay their respects. The 28-year-old Portugal forward and his younger brother Andre Silva, 25, died in the early hours of Thursday after their car veered off a motorway in Spain and burst into flames. A wake for the siblings was organised at a chapel in the Porto suburb of Gondomar ahead of their funeral on Saturday while fans in Liverpool were also in mourning. Jota's teammates have spoken of their struggle to comprehend his death, with captain Virgil van Dijk writing on Instagram that he was "absolutely devastated and in total disbelief". Egypt international Salah shared his deep grief on social media, admitting he was dreading returning to the club. "I am truly lost for words," last season's Premier League top-scorer posted on Instagram. "Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break. "Teammates come and go but not like this. It's going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won't be there when we go back. "My thoughts are with his wife, his children, and of course his parents who suddenly lost their children. Those close to Diogo and his brother Andre need all the support they can get. They will never be forgotten." Jota had married his partner Rute Cardoso on June 22, posting a video of their wedding on Instagram just hours before the accident. They had three children. Former Liverpool captain and teammate Jordan Henderson was among thousands of mourners to lay a tribute at a temporary shrine that has built up outside Anfield. "'Jots' it was a pleasure to share a pitch with you but more importantly a friendship. All the laughs we had off the pitch," the Ajax and England midfielder wrote on Instagram. - Supporters' grief - Fans have left flowers, scarves and shirts outside Anfield and there are similar scenes at Wolves' Molineux ground, where Jota played prior to his move to Liverpool. Emma Dainty, 38, from Liverpool, told AFP: "One of our great players has just lost his life and his brother as well. "And it's an absolute tragedy and it should not have happened, no way should it have happened. He's not just a footballer to me. He had a wife, children. He had a family. It just shouldn't have happened." Richard Jones, 39, a financial advisor from nearby Chester, said there was a feeling of "disbelief" among fans of the recently crowned Premier League champions. "We wanted to come down and just pay tribute, leave some flowers, and basically just to show our respects for such a tragic loss of life," he said. "You know, someone of 28 like that in the prime of his life, the prime of his career. Really, really tragic." Joy Taylor, 65, a Liverpool shop worker, said Jota was "absolutely awesome". "He was really, really so professional," she added. "And he's such a lovely man. You know, every time you saw him, he was always smiling. He always had a big smile on his face. He was just an all-rounder." A delegation from Liverpool's city rivals Everton, including forwards Beto and Youssef Chermiti visited to pay their respects and lay wreaths. Liverpool have opened a book of condolence and lowered flags to half-mast. Some of the club's players had been due back on Friday at the start of pre-season training, but the first tranche of a phased return was postponed. Liverpool's first pre-season match was due to take place at Preston on July 13. But the club posted a statement on its website saying: "Ticket sales for this game have been suspended following the devastating passing of our men's first team player Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva." jw/nr
The Advertiser
6 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Salah fearful of Liverpool return after Jota tragedy
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has admitted he is fearful of what awaits when he returns to the club in the wake of Diogo Jota's death. The club, fans and football as a whole are in mourning after the 28-year-old Portugal forward and his brother Andre Silva were killed in a car crash in Spain in the early hours of Thursday. Players were due back this weekend to begin the preliminaries of pre-season. However, the first tranche of the phased return scheduled for Friday has been postponed. "I am truly lost for words. Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break," Salah wrote on social media. "Team mates come and go but not like this. It's going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won't be there when we go back. "My thoughts are with his wife, his children, and of course his parents who suddenly lost their children. "Those close to Diogo and his brother Andre need all the support they can get. They will never be forgotten." Former Liverpool captain and team-mate Jordan Henderson joined the thousands of mourners to have laid a tribute at the temporary shrine which has built up outside Anfield. "Jots it was a pleasure to share a pitch with you but more importantly a friendship. All the laughs we had off the pitch and trying to find ways to wind milly (teammate James Milner) up and get him fined, which we never could," the England midfielder wrote on Instagram. "Taking pictures of me asleep on the bus travelling then sending them to me later. You always wanted to have a laugh and were a pleasure to be around." Mourners gathered at a wake in Portugal, ahead of the brothers' funeral at 10am local time on Saturday. Portuguese prime minister Luis Montenegro, Porto president Andre Villas-Boas, Portuguese football federation president Pedro Proenca and Jota's longtime agent Jorge Mendes joined the brothers' family including Jota's wife Rute Cardoso, who had married the footballer just weeks earlier, at a private wake in the brothers' home town of Gondomar in northern Portugal. "It is a moment of great pain for the family, who are left anchored to this tragic accident," Proenca said as he left the wake. "Diogo was an icon for the talent that Portuguese football represents and for its ability to generate unity around a person." Liverpool, who are supporting Jota's family, have opened a book of condolence, both physical in the Anfield Road Stand and online, lowered flags to half-mast and closed all stores and the museum and suspended all tours until Monday. Fans continue to leave flowers, scarves and shirts outside Anfield and there are similar scenes at Wolves' Molineux Stadium, where Jota spent three years before his move to Liverpool. Jota was also remembered at Wimbledon as two Portuguese players wore a black ribbon on their all-white attire during their matches. The All England Club has a strict dress code for players while on court but permission to wear the ribbon was granted. Nuno Borges, who at No. 37 is Portugal's highest-ranked tennis player, attached a ribbon to his hat for his third-round match against Karen Khachanov on No.3 Court. Francisco Cabral wore a black ribbon on his left sleeve during a doubles match. Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has admitted he is fearful of what awaits when he returns to the club in the wake of Diogo Jota's death. The club, fans and football as a whole are in mourning after the 28-year-old Portugal forward and his brother Andre Silva were killed in a car crash in Spain in the early hours of Thursday. Players were due back this weekend to begin the preliminaries of pre-season. However, the first tranche of the phased return scheduled for Friday has been postponed. "I am truly lost for words. Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break," Salah wrote on social media. "Team mates come and go but not like this. It's going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won't be there when we go back. "My thoughts are with his wife, his children, and of course his parents who suddenly lost their children. "Those close to Diogo and his brother Andre need all the support they can get. They will never be forgotten." Former Liverpool captain and team-mate Jordan Henderson joined the thousands of mourners to have laid a tribute at the temporary shrine which has built up outside Anfield. "Jots it was a pleasure to share a pitch with you but more importantly a friendship. All the laughs we had off the pitch and trying to find ways to wind milly (teammate James Milner) up and get him fined, which we never could," the England midfielder wrote on Instagram. "Taking pictures of me asleep on the bus travelling then sending them to me later. You always wanted to have a laugh and were a pleasure to be around." Mourners gathered at a wake in Portugal, ahead of the brothers' funeral at 10am local time on Saturday. Portuguese prime minister Luis Montenegro, Porto president Andre Villas-Boas, Portuguese football federation president Pedro Proenca and Jota's longtime agent Jorge Mendes joined the brothers' family including Jota's wife Rute Cardoso, who had married the footballer just weeks earlier, at a private wake in the brothers' home town of Gondomar in northern Portugal. "It is a moment of great pain for the family, who are left anchored to this tragic accident," Proenca said as he left the wake. "Diogo was an icon for the talent that Portuguese football represents and for its ability to generate unity around a person." Liverpool, who are supporting Jota's family, have opened a book of condolence, both physical in the Anfield Road Stand and online, lowered flags to half-mast and closed all stores and the museum and suspended all tours until Monday. Fans continue to leave flowers, scarves and shirts outside Anfield and there are similar scenes at Wolves' Molineux Stadium, where Jota spent three years before his move to Liverpool. Jota was also remembered at Wimbledon as two Portuguese players wore a black ribbon on their all-white attire during their matches. The All England Club has a strict dress code for players while on court but permission to wear the ribbon was granted. Nuno Borges, who at No. 37 is Portugal's highest-ranked tennis player, attached a ribbon to his hat for his third-round match against Karen Khachanov on No.3 Court. Francisco Cabral wore a black ribbon on his left sleeve during a doubles match. Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has admitted he is fearful of what awaits when he returns to the club in the wake of Diogo Jota's death. The club, fans and football as a whole are in mourning after the 28-year-old Portugal forward and his brother Andre Silva were killed in a car crash in Spain in the early hours of Thursday. Players were due back this weekend to begin the preliminaries of pre-season. However, the first tranche of the phased return scheduled for Friday has been postponed. "I am truly lost for words. Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break," Salah wrote on social media. "Team mates come and go but not like this. It's going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won't be there when we go back. "My thoughts are with his wife, his children, and of course his parents who suddenly lost their children. "Those close to Diogo and his brother Andre need all the support they can get. They will never be forgotten." Former Liverpool captain and team-mate Jordan Henderson joined the thousands of mourners to have laid a tribute at the temporary shrine which has built up outside Anfield. "Jots it was a pleasure to share a pitch with you but more importantly a friendship. All the laughs we had off the pitch and trying to find ways to wind milly (teammate James Milner) up and get him fined, which we never could," the England midfielder wrote on Instagram. "Taking pictures of me asleep on the bus travelling then sending them to me later. You always wanted to have a laugh and were a pleasure to be around." Mourners gathered at a wake in Portugal, ahead of the brothers' funeral at 10am local time on Saturday. Portuguese prime minister Luis Montenegro, Porto president Andre Villas-Boas, Portuguese football federation president Pedro Proenca and Jota's longtime agent Jorge Mendes joined the brothers' family including Jota's wife Rute Cardoso, who had married the footballer just weeks earlier, at a private wake in the brothers' home town of Gondomar in northern Portugal. "It is a moment of great pain for the family, who are left anchored to this tragic accident," Proenca said as he left the wake. "Diogo was an icon for the talent that Portuguese football represents and for its ability to generate unity around a person." Liverpool, who are supporting Jota's family, have opened a book of condolence, both physical in the Anfield Road Stand and online, lowered flags to half-mast and closed all stores and the museum and suspended all tours until Monday. Fans continue to leave flowers, scarves and shirts outside Anfield and there are similar scenes at Wolves' Molineux Stadium, where Jota spent three years before his move to Liverpool. Jota was also remembered at Wimbledon as two Portuguese players wore a black ribbon on their all-white attire during their matches. The All England Club has a strict dress code for players while on court but permission to wear the ribbon was granted. Nuno Borges, who at No. 37 is Portugal's highest-ranked tennis player, attached a ribbon to his hat for his third-round match against Karen Khachanov on No.3 Court. Francisco Cabral wore a black ribbon on his left sleeve during a doubles match.
