Diogo Jota’s funeral took place on Saturday at his town of Gondomar, in a district of Porto. The service was held in the wake of a horrible collision that claimed his life and that of his brother, Andre Silva. The crash occurred early Thursday morning at 12:40 am on the A-52 highway in Palacios de Sanabria, near Zamora, Spain. According to reports, a suspected tire blowout led to the terrible crash. Unfortunately, this resulted in the Lamborghini they were riding in catching fire.
An extraordinary outpouring of grief at the funeral from family, friends and fellow footballers. As his wife, Rute Cardoso, noted, she had only married Jota 11 days before the crash. During this ordeal, she was buoyed by their three adult children—and indeed, the entire extended family. Liverpool players past and present came out to pay their respects at the solemn occasion, showing the world once again how small the football community is when tragedy strikes.
Among those in attendance were Arne Slot, manager of the Premier League club Liverpool, as well as fellow Portugal team-mates Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva. The moment the players walked into the church, ceremonial wreaths based on a football shirt design were borne aloft with great pride. These wreaths represented their connection and passion for Jota.
In a poignant moment, Portugal manager Roberto Martinez reflected on the tragedy, stating, “They are really sad days, as you can imagine, but today we have shown we are a very large, but close family.” His statement reflected the deep sadness felt by many at the deaths of Jota and his brother.
The ripple effect of Jota’s passing was felt outside of the personal realm too. Liverpool Football Club postponed the return of their players for pre-season training in light of the tragedy, honoring the memory of their teammate during this period of mourning.
Former Liverpool player Fabinho came to pay his respects as did Porto president Andre Villas-Boas. Their presence only serves to underline the vast web of connections Jota gathered over his long career. Each correspondent extended their condolences, good wishes and hopes for strength to Rute Cardoso and her family in this difficult time.
The funeral allowed friends and colleagues to come together to celebrate Jota’s life while grappling with the overwhelming sadness of his untimely passing. One mourner shared sentiments from a broader perspective: “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.”
Fans and players alike are still coming to terms with this enormous loss. They hold so dearly the memories of Diogo Jota’s recent service to club and country. He played everything with championship sense and style, leaving behind a legacy not only as a great footballer, but as a great husband and father.
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