Liverpool players join family for Diogo Jota’s funeral

Funeral for Diogo Jota and brother Andre Silva took place in Portugal on Saturday morning; Jota's wife and family were joined by Liverpool players for the funeral following their deaths in a car crash in Spain.

The father-of-three, who married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso 11 days before the accident, died alongside his brother after a Lamborghini they were travelling in burst into flames following a suspected tyre blowout in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The coffins of Jota and Silva were carried into Igreja Matriz de Gondomar church in the town of Gondomar near Porto on Saturday morning, followed by mourners.

A church bell tolled and crowds applauded as the brothers' coffins were carried into the church, followed by mourners, some with their arms around each other.

Carrying a red floral wreath bearing his shirt number, Diogo Jota’s Liverpool teammates joined relatives and residents in a small Portuguese town on Saturday for the funeral of the soccer star, who died with his brother in a car crash on Thursday.

Club captain Virgil Van Dijk, goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher and manager Arne Slot were among Liverpool teammates past and present who attended the service in Gondomar for the striker and his brother, Andre Silva.

The English Premier League stars carried two floral tributes in the club’s red colour into the chapel, each in the shape of a shirt.

The one carried by Van Dijk had the number 20 written in white flowers, which Jota wore on his Liverpool shirt.

The other bore the number 30, which was worn by Jota’s brother, who played for FC Peñafiel in Portugal’s second division.

Dressed in black and with their heads bowed, the teammates entered the church in silence. The only sound was the applause from the crowd outside.

Pallbearers carry the coffin of Andre Silva, brother of Liverpool’s Portuguese football player Diogo Jota

Rute Cardoso, who married her childhood sweetheart Jota only weeks before the fatal crash, arrived with relatives.

Hundreds of residents of Gondomar, a small town in northern Portugal where Jota grew up, gathered outside.

The private service for family and close friends was presided over by the Bishop of Porto, Manuel Linda.

In an emotional homily addressed to Jota’s parents, his wife and their three young children, Linda said “solidarity in love is always stronger than death”.

Teammates from the Portugal national squad including Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes, who both play in the English Premier League, also attended the service.

Jota’s death at the age of 28 sent shock waves through the world of soccer and beyond, with messages of condolences pouring in from national leaders as well as across the sport.

The brothers were believed to have been driving to a ferry in Spain to travel to Britain when their Lamborghini veered off the road and burst into flames after midnight on Thursday. Police said they suspected a tyre had burst.

Also at the funeral for the Portugal international were his national team-mates Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United, Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva of Manchester City, Joao Felix and Renato Veiga of Chelsea, Nelson Semedo from Wolves, Joao Moutinho, Rui Patricio and Ruben Neves, as well as former Liverpool player Fabinho, Porto president Andre Villas-Boas and Portugal manager Roberto Martinez.

Fans pay their respects outside Anfield Stadium, on the day of the funeral of Diogo Jota

Neves served as one of the pallbearers for Jota after flying in from Florida, where he played for Al Hilal in the Club World Cup quarter-final on Friday night.

Some of the players carried wreaths shaped like football shirts as they arrived at the church.

"They are [have been] really sad days, as you can imagine, but today we have shown we are a very large, but close family," Martinez told Sky Sports News.

"We are Portugal, and it was essential for us that [with] Andre Silva and Diogo Jota, we are together and we will always be together and their spirit will be with us forever.

"Thank you very much for your messages, for your support and everything that we have received [from] all over the world. It means a lot and today we are all one football family."

City midfielder Silva also paid tribute to his fellow Portugal international.

"I can't even imagine the pain of the family, of Rute, of the children, of the parents," Silva told Portuguese broadcaster TVI.

"I must talk a little about Jota, who was a great friend to all of us.

"His career, although not the most important thing, speaks for itself. His passion, will and determination allowed him to succeed in life and have a brilliant career.

"More important than that, as a person, the memories that remain. Jota will remain in our hearts forever. He will always be present at all breakfasts, lunches, dinners, national team gatherings, PlayStation or card games.

"It is a very tough episode for all of us, because we spent a lot of time together. The memories I have with him are fantastic. These happy memories will remain; he will be present in every victory.

"We were rivals and team-mates for many years. He became a great friend. He was present at my wedding. Unfortunately, I wasn't at his, because I was at the Club World Cup.

"It is a family that will always be with us and that we will try to preserve."

After the funeral service, the coffins were carried to the cemetery next to the church.

Family and friends gathered for the brothers' wake on Friday, with a queue forming outside the Portuguese chapel.

The brothers' parents attended the Sao Cosme Chapel, the Capela da Ressurreicao, in Gondomar, with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro and Jota's agent also there.

People held service sheets featuring pictures of both brothers, the largest one showing Jota smiling in his Liverpool shirt and making a heart sign with his hands.

Liverpool postponed the return of their players for pre-season following Jota's death and players past and present paid tribute to him and his brother on social media.

A sea of floral tributes had been left outside Anfield, with many Liverpool fans and supporters of other clubs looking to pay their respects.

Flags have been lowered to half-mast at the stadium and all club stores, museums and tours have been closed until Monday, with staff offered wellbeing support.

Jota and Silva were found dead after the car crashed on the A-52 in Palacios de Sanabria near the city of Zamora at 12.40am on Thursday.

Police said they were investigating the possibility that the Lamborghini left the road because of a tyre blowout while overtaking, and a source from the government sub-delegation in Zamora confirmed "a possible speeding incident" was being looked at.

Pictures of the aftermath of the crash showed debris scattered along the side of the road including what appeared to be charred parts of the vehicle.

No other vehicles are said to have been involved in the incident.