Portugal (BN24) – The body of Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota arrived in northern Portugal on Friday for a wake in his hometown, as the football world continued mourning the Portuguese international who died alongside his brother in a car crash in Spain.
A convoy of hearses departed Thursday evening from the morgue in Puebla de Sanabria, near where the Lamborghini carrying the brothers had veered off the road and burst into flames after midnight Thursday. Spanish police suspected a tire burst caused the fatal accident.
Jota’s wife Rute Cardoso, who had married the footballer just weeks earlier, was seen leaving the morgue and joining the convoy. The player’s longtime agent Jorge Mendes also accompanied the procession to Gondomar near Porto.
Officials in Gondomar announced a wake would take place at a local chapel beginning at 4:00 p.m. local time Friday, followed by funeral services Saturday at 10:00 a.m. at a nearby church. Portugal’s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro arrived in the village Friday morning to pay respects.
The death of the 28-year-old forward has sent shockwaves through the football community. Outside Liverpool’s Anfield stadium, fans left flowers, scarves and handwritten notes, many from children expressing their grief.
Major football clubs including Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Real Madrid observed moments of silence during training sessions for their Club World Cup matches in the United States.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca revealed Thursday that Portuguese forward Pedro Neto was considering whether to play in Friday’s quarter-final against Palmeiras as he mourned his close friend’s death.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot issued a statement Thursday expressing support for Jota’s family. “My message to them is very clear – you will never walk alone,” Slot said. “For us as a club, the sense of shock is absolute. Diogo was not just our player. He was a loved one to all of us.”
Jota had been traveling back to Liverpool by car after being advised to avoid air travel for up to six weeks following lung surgery to address a fractured rib, according to his physiotherapist Miguel Goncalves. The player was recovering well from the pneumothorax surgery and had planned to take a ferry to the UK from Spain.
The tragic accident claimed both Jota and his brother Andre Silva, cutting short the career of one of Portugal’s most promising talents just weeks after his wedding celebration.
