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Liverpool Pays Tribute in Portugal: Emotional Farewell for Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva

Liverpool Pays Tribute in Portugal: Emotional Farewell for Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva

Liverpool Mourns with Portugal: Final Goodbye to Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva

An outpouring of grief united the football world this week as Liverpool players, staff, and supporters joined thousands in Gondomar, Portugal, to pay their final respects to Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva. The two tragically lost their lives in a car crash in Zamora, Spain, while en route to England.

Van Dijk and Robertson Lead Liverpool’s Tribute

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson were among the club representatives who flew to Portugal to honor their late teammate. Both players carried floral arrangements shaped like red football shirts—one bearing Jota’s iconic No. 20 and the other Silva’s No. 30. The pair led Liverpool’s delegation, which included head coach Arne Slot, midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, and former stars Jordan Henderson and James Milner, into the church.

Football Unites in Grief

Nottingham Forest’s coach Nuno Espírito Santo at the funeral

The ceremony drew figures from across the football world. Portugal teammates Rúben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, and Diogo Dalot attended alongside national team coach Roberto Martínez. João Cancelo and Rúben Neves, fresh off a match in the Club World Cup, also joined the mourners. Former Wolves manager Nuno Espírito Santo and several members of Silva’s club Penafiel were also present.

“We’re not just a team, we are a family,” said Martínez. “Today, Portugal stood together, united in honoring two incredible lives.”

Heartbreaking Moments at the Service

Crowds lined the streets of Gondomar as the brothers’ coffins were brought into the church. There was applause as the bells rang. The funeral program featured images of both men—Jota’s photo showing him celebrating with a heart gesture during his time at Liverpool.

Rúben Neves, who played with Jota at Porto, Wolves, and for Portugal, served as a pallbearer. Jota’s widow, Rute Cardoso, who had married him just 11 days earlier, followed his coffin in tears, supported by her sister. Silva’s wife, Maria Rodrigues, mirrored the sorrowful walk behind her husband’s casket.

Emotional Farewell from Gondomar to Anfield

Liverpool Pays Tribute in Portugal

Liverpool manager, players and coaching staffs at Jota’s funeral

Silva’s second-division team, Penafiel, and their hometown club Gondomar, where both brothers began their careers, were visibly present. Gondomar players wore their club’s yellow and blue, and a portrait of Silva carried the inscription: “Para Sempre Um De Nós”Forever One of Us.

Bishop Manuel Linda delivered a heartfelt homily directed at Jota’s three children: Dinis, Duarte, and Mafalda. Outside the church, Liverpool’s Henderson wiped away tears, and Van Dijk appeared visibly shaken as he exited.

Following the public ceremony, the brothers were laid to rest in a private burial attended by close family and friends.

Tributes Pour In Across Portugal and England

A public wake had been held the previous day at the Capela da Ressurreição, with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Prime Minister Luís Montenegro in attendance.

In Gondomar, fans left mementos, scarves, and flowers at the club’s ground, where the brothers’ football journey began. Meanwhile, in Liverpool, tributes continued to grow outside Anfield, where fans have created a memorial filled with personal messages, club memorabilia, and heartfelt condolences.

Tributes continued to be paid at Anfield

Tragic Circumstances

Jota and Silva died in the early hours of Thursday morning when their car veered off the road and caught fire in Zamora, northwest Spain. The pair were traveling to Santander to board a ferry back to England. Jota had reportedly been advised not to fly after recent treatment for a collapsed lung.

Their untimely passing has sent shockwaves through the football world, leaving behind grieving families, teammates, and countless fans across nations.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/jul/05/liverpool-players-and-citys-ruben-dias-in-portugal-for-diogo-jotas-funeral