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The devastated household and buddies of Liverpool star Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva gathered for a transferring funeral on Saturday, two days after their tragic deaths in a automotive crash in Spain.
Dozens of stars and high-profile figures from throughout the footballing world arrived for a sombre service in Gondomar, close to Porto, tears flowing as they bade goodbye to the brothers. The service happened in the identical church the place Jota was married simply 13 days earlier.
Jota, 28, a father of three, died alongside Silva, 25, when their Lamborghini flew off the aspect of the A-52 street in northwestern Spain and erupted in flames on Thursday following a suspected tyre blowout.
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Ruben Neves carries the coffin out of the church alongside Jota’s spouse, Rute Cardoso (Reuters)
Footballing stars, legends and brokers joined Jota’s visibly devastated household and his spouse, Rute Cardoso, for the service. Ms Cardoso minimize a distraught determine, weeping as she adopted behind her late husband’s coffin because it was carried into the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar church.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk and left-back Andy Robertson arrived with soccer shirt-shaped wreaths with Jota’s No 20 on the again, adopted carefully by supervisor Arne Slot and different gamers from the membership, together with Conor Bradley, Ryan Gravenberch, Cody Gakpo, Curtis Jones, Darwin Nunez and Joe Gomez. Former gamers Jordan Henderson and James Milner additionally attended.
Premier League stars, together with Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United, Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva of Manchester Metropolis, Joao Felix and Renato Veiga of Chelsea, Nelson Semedo from Wolves, and former Liverpool gamers Fabinho and Thiago Alcantara additionally joined for the service.
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Liverpool’s captain Virgil van Dijk and Liverpool’s participant Andrew Robertson arrive on the funeral (Reuters)
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Diogo Jota’s spouse Rute Cardoso (proper) and her sister react as pallbearers carry the coffin (AFP by way of Getty)
Ruben Neves, considered one of Jota’s closest buddies with whom he performed for each Wolves and Portugal, acted as a pallbearer for his coffin after flying in from Florida, the place he had performed a Membership World Cup match the night time earlier than. Alongside together with his Portuguese teammate Joao Cancelo, Neves was seen sobbing throughout a second’s silence earlier than Friday’s sport.
After the service got here to an finish, “Ave Maria” was performed on the loudspeakers as funeral goers spilt out of the church, embracing tearfully. The coffins have been carried out of the church, Ms Cardoso serving to elevate Jota’s casket, leaning her head on it because the procession moved away.
Additionally in attendance have been Porto president Andre Villas-Boas, Portugal supervisor Roberto Martinez, and former Portugal supervisor Fernando Santos.
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Liverpool’s Joe Gomez and Arne Slot arrive (PA)
“They’re [have been] actually unhappy days, as you may think about, however as we speak we now have proven we’re a really giant, however shut household,” Martinez advised media exterior the church, in a brief interview broadcast on Sky Sports activities Information.
“We’re Portugal, and it was important for us that [with] Andre Silva and Diogo Jota, we’re collectively and we are going to all the time be collectively, and their spirit will probably be with us eternally.
“Thanks very a lot on your messages, on your help and all the things that we now have obtained all around the world. It means quite a bit, and as we speak we’re all one soccer household.”
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Jota’s former Liverpool teammate James Milner was visibly emotional following the funeral (PA)
Silva advised Portuguese broadcaster TVI: “I can’t even think about the ache of the household, of Rute, of the kids, of the dad and mom.
“Jota will stay in our hearts eternally. He’ll all the time be current in any respect breakfasts, lunches, dinners, nationwide group gatherings, PlayStation or card video games.
“It’s a very robust episode for all of us, as a result of we spent loads of time collectively. The recollections I’ve with him are implausible. These pleased recollections will stay; he will probably be current in each victory.”
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Diogo Jota and Andre Silva’s dying got here as an enormous shock to the footballing world (Getty)
The crash occurred after a tyre blowout whereas the automotive was overtaking one other, Spain’s Civil Guard mentioned on Thursday.
The automotive, reported to be a Lamborghini, left the aspect of the street and erupted in flames. It’s unknown which brother was driving.
Jota was returning to the UK to affix pre-season coaching with Liverpool, after present process a minor operation in Portugal. Resulting from his current surgical procedure, he had reportedly been suggested to take the ferry moderately than journey by airplane.