Virgil Van Dijk, Arne Slot Lead As Liverpool Players Attend Diogo Jota's Funeral

Last Updated:July 05, 2025, 15:30 IST

Liverpool players attended the funeral of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva in Gondomar, Portugal, after their fatal car crash in Spain.

Liverpool players walk to the church to attend the funeral of their teammate Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, in Gondomar, near Porto, Portugal (AP)

Liverpool players gathered in the small Portuguese town of Gondomar on Saturday for the funeral of their teammate Diogo Jota, who, along with his younger brother, died in a car crash in Spain on Thursday.

The Premier League club’s captain Virgil Van Dijk, manager Arne Slot and goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher were among the current and former teammates who arrived in Portugal late on Friday to pay their respects to Jota and his brother, André Silva.

They joined the grieving family and hundreds of residents of Gondomar, a town in northern Portugal where Jota grew up, for the funeral at the Igreja Matriz church.

Rute Cardoso, who married Jota just weeks ago, was 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 condolences pouring in from national leaders and across the sport.

Liverpool players joined family and friends for the funeral of Diogo Jota and his brother on Saturday, two days after the siblings died in a car crash in Spain.

How Liverpool Players Paid Tribute To Jota?

Liverpool captain Virgil Van Dijk arrived carrying a red floral arrangement in the shape of a football shirt with Jota’s No. 20 in white. Liverpool teammate Andrew Robertson carried a similar arrangement with the No. 30, the number worn by Jota’s brother, André Silva, who played for Portuguese club Penafiel.

The service was held at Igreja Matriz church in Gondomar, where Jota had a home.

Church bells rang at 11:00 a.m. local time as the funeral began. Pallbearers carried the caskets of both brothers from a chapel next door into the church. Relatives and hundreds of friends and acquaintances, including players from the local Gondomar FC where Jota started playing at age 9, followed.

Portugal’s national team coach Roberto Martínez and several top Portuguese players also attended, including Manchester City duo Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias, and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes.

How Jota Died?

Jota, 28, and the 25-year-old Silva were found dead near Zamora in northwestern Spain early Thursday after their Lamborghini crashed on an isolated stretch of highway just after midnight on Thursday and burst into flames.

The brothers were reportedly heading to catch a boat from northern Spain to England, where Jota was to rejoin Liverpool after a summer break.

Spanish police are investigating the cause of the crash, which did not involve another vehicle. They believe it may have been caused by a blown tyre.

Their bodies were repatriated to Portugal after being identified by the family. A wake was held on Friday.

Jota’s death occurred two weeks after he married his long-time partner Rute Cardoso while on vacation after a long season in which he helped Liverpool win the Premier League. The couple had three children, the youngest born last year.

Their loss led to an outpouring of condolences from the football world and Portuguese officials.

(With inputs from Agencies)

Ritayan Basu

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha...Read More

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha...

Read More

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