Diogo Jota’s teammates at Liverpool have been expressing their grief following the forward’s death on Thursday, with Jordan Henderson visibly emotional while laying flowers in the Portugal international’s memory at Anfield and captain Virgil van Dijk saying he is in “total disbelief.”
Jota and his brother, André Silva, were killed in a car crash near Zamora, Spain, on Thursday. ESPN can confirm that the funeral will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. local time at the Matriz de Gondomar church, located 33 kilometers from Jota’s home city of Porto. A wake will take place from 4 p.m. local time Friday.
Police confirmed that Jota, who was 28, and his brother, who was 25, were the only people in the car. Jota’s death comes weeks after he married his partner, Rute Cardoso. They have three children, the youngest born last year.
“Man, I can’t believe it, I don’t wanna believe it,” Van Dijk said in a post on Instagram. “Absolutely devastated and in total disbelief. What a human being, what a player, but most importantly what an unbelievable family man.
“You meant so much to all of us and you always will! For your family to lose two sons, a husband and a father is just unimaginable. So cruel and unfair. My heart is breaking for all of your beautiful family, for Rute and for your kids. I promise you that in these difficult times and beyond we will always be there for your family.
“A champion forever, No. 20 forever. It’s been a privilege to have stood by your side on the pitch, and to have been your friend off it.”
Tears were running down the face of Liverpool’s former captain Henderson, who now plays for Dutch club Ajax, as he laid a bouquet of flowers and Liverpool scarf alongside hundreds of others outside Anfield on Friday.
In an Instagram post expressing sympathy for the “unimaginable” pain the brothers’ family will be feeling, Henderson said: “Jots it was a pleasure to share a pitch with you but more importantly a friendship. All the laughs we had off the pitch and trying to find ways to wind milly up and get him fined, which we never could. Taking pictures of me asleep on the bus travelling then sending them to me later. You always wanted to have a laugh and were a pleasure to be around.
“I know how much Rute and your family meant to you and I know you will always be looking down on them. Thank you for everything you brought into this world; we will all miss you.”
Mohamed Salah said in a post on X: “I am truly lost for words. Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break. Teammates come and go but not like this.
“It’s going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won’t be there when we go back. My thoughts are with his wife, his children, and of course his parents who suddenly lost their children. Those close to Diogo and his brother André need all the support they can get. They will never be forgotten.”
Trent Alexander-Arnold, who left Liverpool for Real Madrid this summer, said in post on social media that Jota was a “true friend.”
“It’s so difficult to find the right words when your head and heart are struggling to accept that someone you care so much about has gone,” he said. “Diogo, your family was your world. They were everything. For Rute, his children, and his parents, all of our hearts are broken. And for André as well. Brothers and best friends.
“When it’s less painful, I want to remember Diogo with a big smile. So many laughs and happy moments. He was such a great teammate and a true friend. Forever No. 20. Rest in peace, Diogo.”
The Liverpool players’ tributes joined those of the club’s hierarchy and coach Arne Slot, who said the “sense of shock is absolute” in a statement on Thursday.
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