Family, friends, and fans bid farewell at the funeral of Diogo Jota and his brother André in Gondomar: "He always had a smile."

The Portuguese football world and Liverpool Football Club said their final farewells this Saturday to Diogo Jota , former player for the English team, and his brother André , in an emotional funeral held in Gondomar , in northern Portugal, his hometown. Both brothers died tragically in the early hours of this Thursday, in a traffic accident on the A52, near Cernadilla (Zamora) . Diogo Jota was 28 years old, while his brother André Felipe Silva, also a footballer for Penafiel in the Portuguese second division, was 25.

The funeral took place in the Mother Church of Gondomar, attended by prominent football figures. Among those in attendance were the Portuguese national team coach, Roberto Martínez ; the president of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), Pedro Proença ; and a large representation of national team players, including Bernardo Silva ; João Moutinho ; Rúben Dias ; João Félix ; and Rui Patrício .

Pain in Gondomar

The Liverpool delegation, the club that Diogo Jota belonged to since 2020, arrived at the funeral wearing two symbolic floral shirts with the numbers 20 (for Diogo Jota) and 30 (for André Silva). Defender Virgil van Dijk wore Jota's shirt, while midfielder Jordan Henderson wore André's. The funeral was also attended by Diogo Jota's teammates and former teammates, including Tiago Alcántara , Fabinho , Ricardo Carvalho and Nelson Semedo . Also present were his former agent, Jorge Mendes , and the president of Porto, André-Vilas Boas , the club where Diogo Jota also played.

The two coffins were removed from the Chapel of the Resurrection and carried inside the church, escorted by players, friends, and family members , all "broken with grief." The funeral was officiated by the Bishop of Porto, Manuel Linda. Following the ceremony, the two brothers will be buried in the cemetery located within the church grounds, where numerous residents of Gondomar have come to offer their support to the family, well known in this town on the outskirts of Porto.

"I will remember him as someone very friendly, very courteous, who loved everyone and always had a smile," one of his former classmates, Pedro Neves, a 31-year-old laborer, told AFP. He lives near the Gondomar Sport Clube soccer field, where Diogo Jota founded an academy that bears his name.

Who was Diogo Jota?

Diogo Jota , a striker with a long career, trained at Portuguese clubs Gondomar and Paços de Ferreira. In 2016, he signed for Atlético Madrid and subsequently played on loan at FC Porto until 2018, when he made the leap to the English league. Since 2020, he has been a key player at Liverpool .

The tragic incident occurred shortly after a significant event in the player's personal life. Diogo Jota married his partner of 13 years, Rute Cardoso , on June 22nd. They had three minor children, including an eight-month-old daughter.