IMAGE: Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk and Andrew Robertson attend the funeral of their teammate Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva near the Chapel of the Resurrection, in Gondomar, Portugal, on Saturday. Photograph: Pedro Nunes/Reuters
Liverpool players gathered in the small Portuguese town of Gondomar on Saturday for the funeral of their English Premier League soccer teammate Diogo Jota, who died with his younger brother in a car crash in Spain on Thursday.
Club captain Virgil Van Dijk, goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher and manager Arne Slot were among teammates past and present who arrived in Portugal late on Friday to pay their respects to the striker and his brother, Andre Silva.
IMAGE: Liverpool manager Arne Slot with his players at the funeral. Photograph: Pedro Nunes/Reuters
They are expected to join the grieving family and hundreds of residents of Gondomar, a small town in northern Portugal where Jota grew up, for the funeral at the Igreja Matriz church.
IMAGE: Diogo Jota’s wife Rute Cardoso is consoled by a family member. Photograph: Rita Franca/Reuters
Rute Cardoso, who married Jota just weeks ago, is expected to be accompanied by the couple’s three young children.
Jota’s death at the age of 28 sent shock waves through the world of football and beyond, with messages of condolences pouring in from national leaders as well as across the sport.
IMAGE: Diogo Jota’s Portugal teammate Bernardo Silva attends the funeral. Photograph: Pedro Nunes/Reuters
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.
IMAGE: Liverpool players Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo. Photograph: Pedro Nunes/Reuters
IMAGE: Pallbearers carry the coffins of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva. Photograph: Pedro Nunes/Reuters
IMAGE: Liverpool player Conor Bradley. Photograph: Pedro Nunes/Reuters
