Family, friends and current and former teammates gathered to pay their respects to Diogo Jota and his brother, André Silva, whose funerals were held in Gondomar, Portugal, on Saturday morning.
Jota, 28, and, André, 25, were killed in a car crash near Zamora, Spain, in the early hours of Thursday.
Penafiel players carried André’s coffin into the church. Rúben Neves helped to carry Jota’s coffin. Jota’s wife Rute Cardoso, was consoled by family, as she followed the coffins.
Portugal teammates Bruno Fernandes, João Cancelo, Renato Veiga, João Félix, José Fonte, Danilo, Adrien Silva were also present.
Bernardo Silva was seen carrying flowers as he entered the church. The Liverpool team delegation also arrived.
Ahead of the funeral the two coffins were then transferred to the Matriz de Gondomar church, which is located 33 kilometres from Porto.
Jota and Rute had married in Porto on June 22 after knowing each other since they were children.
The parents of the footballers were also present as was Jota’s agent, Jorge Mendes, who travelled to Zamora to be with the players’ family.
Portugal’s Football Federation (FPF) president Pedro Proença travelled to Gondomar on Friday to pay his respects to Jota and his brother.
“It is a very sad moment for Portuguese football, but the strength of football and Diogo, as well as his entire family, brings the entire football community together,” Proença said before the funeral. “He was a figure who stood far above Portuguese identity and what it represents.
“It is a family that has been anchored by this accident, and I ask for respect. Football is truly in mourning, Diogo was an icon. Portuguese football must respect the family’s pain.”
Tributes to Jota and his brother have poured in, while thousands of fans have made their way to Anfield stadium to pay their respects to the Liverpool forward.
Jota made 182 appearances for Liverpool since joining from Wolverhampton Wonderers in 2020. He lifted the Premier League title in May, having previously won the FA Cup and two Carabao Cups in his five years at the club.
He earned 49 caps for Portugal and recently won the UEFA Nations League, having previously done so in 2019. Silva played with Portuguese club Penafiel in the Portuguese lower divisions.
