GONDOMAR, Portugal (AP) Liverpool gamers joined household and mates for the funeral of their teammate Diogo Jota and his brother on Saturday, two days after the siblings died in a automobile crash in Spain.
Liverpool captain Virgil Van Dijk arrived carrying a pink floral association within the form of a soccer shirt with Jotas No. 20 in white. Liverpool teammate Andrew Robertson carried an identical association with the No. 30, the quantity worn by Jotas brother, André Silva, who performed for Portuguese membership Penafiel.
The service was held at Igreja Matriz church within the Portuguese city of Gondomar, the place Jota had a house.
Church bells pealed at 11:00 a.m. native time because the funeral began. Pallbearers carried the caskets of each brothers from a chapel subsequent door and into the church. Relations and a whole lot of mates and acquaintances, together with gamers of the native Gondomar FC the place Jota began enjoying at age 9, then adopted.
Portugal’s nationwide group coach Roberto Martínez and several other prime Portuguese gamers additionally attended, together with Manchester Metropolis duo Bernardo Silva and Rúben Dias and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernándes.
Jota, 28, and the 25-year-old Silva had been discovered lifeless close to Zamora in northwestern Spain early Thursday after the Lamborghini they had been driving crashed on an remoted stretch of freeway simply after midnight on Thursday and burst into flames.
The brothers had been reportedly heading to catch a ship from northern Spain to go to England the place Jota was to rejoin with Liverpool after a summer time break.
Spanish police are investigating the reason for the crash, which didn’t contain one other car, they mentioned. They mentioned they consider it may have been attributable to a blown tire.
Their our bodies had been repatriated to Portugal after being recognized by the household. A wake was held for them on Friday.
Jotas dying occurred two weeks after he married long-time accomplice Rute Cardoso whereas on trip from a protracted season the place he helped Liverpool win the Premier League. The couple had three kids, the youngest born final yr.
Their loss led to an outpouring of condolences from the soccer world and Portuguese officers.
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Wilson reported from Barcelona, Spain.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer