The bodies of Portuguese footballers Diogo Jota and his younger brother, André Silva, will be laid to rest in their hometown of Gondomar, Portugal, on Saturday.
LEADERSHIP recalls that the Liverpool forward, 28, and André, who played for Portuguese second-division side Penafiel, died in the early hours of Thursday when their vehicle veered off the A52 motorway near Palacios de Sanabria in Zamora province.
Reports blamed a blown-out tyre as the cause of the crash as the brothers made their way toward a ferry in Santander, en route the United Kingdom for Jota’s pre-season return.
The bodies of the deceased brothers were repatriated to Portugal on Thursday evening ahead of the burial scheduled for Saturday.
A wake will be held on Friday, July 4 at Capelas da Ressurreição (Chapels of the Resurrection) in the Fontainhas district of Porto, ahead of the funeral service at Igreja Matriz de Gondomar (Mother Church of Gondomar) on Saturday, July 5.
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Prime Minister Luís Montenegro are expected to attend the funeral, which will reportedly be closed to the general public.
Mourners have been gathering on the streets of Porto to pay tribute to Jota, who was widely regarded as a national hero.
Speaking to CNN in Portugal, the parish priest of Igreja Matriz, José Manuel Macedo, said, “The bodies of the two brothers will be taken to the Easter Chapel to pray tomorrow and then there will be a funeral. We are ready to join people in remembering their lives. At the same time, we share the pain, as well as the hope of the believers.”
Tributes have continued to pour in with José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, President of Portugal’s National Assembly, describing Jota as a role model for the youth.
“It is very sad news for national and international sport. Diogo Jota always represented the Portuguese national team with great pride. Through his talent and hard work, he became an example for many young people. A vote of condolence will be held in the National Assembly on July 4 in honour of the legacy they leave behind.”
Jota had recently resumed training under the supervision of Dr. Miguel Gonçalves after recovering from a partial lung collapse.
According to the doctor, the Liverpool star had shown remarkable dedication to his rehabilitation.
“I said goodbye to him and his brother, André, around 8:30 p.m. They were travelling overnight to avoid the heat. Diogo told me they planned to stop in Burgos to rest before continuing to Santander. He was confident in his recovery and excited about the new season,” Gonçalves told Portuguese outlet Record.
The physician also revealed Jota had made an “extraordinary recovery” from the injury and had opted out of Liverpool’s pre-season tour to Japan in order to strengthen his fitness.
“He was no longer in pain and was eager to return to Liverpool. He believed he was going to have a great season.”
Jota had only recently celebrated a major milestone in his personal life, marrying his long-time partner Rute Cardoso on June 22 in a ceremony attended by their three children.
His agent, Jorge Mendes, head of Gestifute, expressed his devastation, “We lost two great people. Diogo is an example as a person, husband, son, and professional. I still can’t believe it—it’s very difficult.”
Jota’s death comes just weeks after helping Liverpool to a Premier League title and lifting the UEFA Nations League trophy with Portugal in June.
