The remains of Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva arrived in northern Portugal on Friday for a wake in their hometown, as tributes continued to flood in following their tragic death in a car accident in Spain.
A convoy of hearses departed from Puebla de Sanabria’s morgue on Thursday evening, heading to Gondomar near Porto, the site where the Lamborghini they were travelling in lost control and ignited shortly after midnight. Police suspect a tyre blowout may have been the cause.
Jota’s wife, Rute Cardoso, who had recently married the footballer, joined the convoy after leaving the morgue, as did his long-time agent, Jorge Mendes.
A wake is scheduled to take place at a chapel in Gondomar at 4:00 p.m., with a funeral service to follow on Saturday at a local church at 10:00 a.m., according to the mayor’s office in Gondomar.
On Friday morning, Portugal’s Prime Minister, Luis Montenegro, visited the village.
The passing of Jota at just 28 years of age has sent shockwaves through the football community, with tributes streaming in from former teammates, clubs, national leaders, and fans. Outside Liverpool’s Anfield stadium, supporters laid flowers, scarves, and heartfelt notes, many penned by children.
Football clubs including Paris Saint-Germain, which boasts several Portuguese internationals, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Real Madrid observed a moment of silence during their training sessions ahead of matches in the Club World Cup being held in the United States.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca mentioned on Thursday that forward Pedro Neto was contemplating whether to participate in Friday’s quarter-final against Palmeiras, as the Portuguese international mourns the loss of his close friend.
Jota’s manager at Liverpool, Arne Slot, expressed his condolences in a statement on Thursday, emphasising that his thoughts are with the family.
“My message to them is very clear – you will never walk alone,” Slot remarked.
“The sense of shock for us as a club is profound. Diogo was not merely our player; he was cherished by all of us. He was a teammate, a colleague, a workmate, and in every one of those roles, he was exceptional,” he concluded.
Jota was returning to Liverpool by car after being advised to refrain from air travel for up to six weeks post-lung surgery to treat a fractured rib, his physiotherapist Miguel Goncalves explained to the media on Thursday evening.
According to Goncalves, Jota was recuperating well from the pneumothorax surgery, with plans to take a ferry to the UK from Spain.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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