Breaking Day of mourning ahead of Diogo Jota’s funeral: Liverpool star’s heartbroken wife and family and friends visit chapel in Portugal where coffin is being held before tomorrow’s ceremony EnglishHeadline

Diogo Jota’s heartbroken spouse and oldsters have gathered at a wake and held a vigil on the coffins of the Liverpool star and his brother Andre because the world of soccer mourns their deaths as we speak.

Rute Cardoso, who solely married the 28-year-old footballer on June 22, walked into Sao Cosme Chapel in Gondomar after returning together with her husband’s physique from Spain late final night time forward of tomorrow’s funeral. 

The city overlooking Porto is the place the couple met and began relationship as youngsters. They married lower than two weeks in the past and have three younger youngsters.

It’s believed the our bodies of Diogo and Andre Silva are mendacity within the Chapel of Relaxation, which is behind the primary church. 

It got here as Diogo’s pal, former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, wiped away tears as he laid flowers and a shawl outdoors Anfield this afternoon. 

Diogo and Andre’s mom Isabel, father Joaquim and their grandfather had been emotional on arriving on the chapel. Joaquim hugged a number of individuals and was supported by his brother and later raised a hand to mourners as he left together with his spouse. They returned round an hour later.

Portugal’s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro additionally attended the wake together with Diogo’s agent Jorge Mendes. The President of Portugal, Marcelo de Sousa, got here later.

The temper outdoors Sao Cosme Chapel was one in every of respectful silence and contemplation as we speak. There’s a main police presence and officers taped off roads and put in limitations close to the church. Even on the streets past, within the eating places and cafes of this Porto suburb, the temper is subdued and silent.

Father-of-three Diogo Jota was killed within the early hours of yesterday morning alongside together with his footballer brother Andre Silva, 26.

Their acid inexperienced 200mph £180,000 Lamborghini Huracan burst into flames after a suspected tyre blowout on the A-52 freeway close to Zamora in north-west Spain. No different automobiles had been concerned, police have stated.

The brothers had been on a highway journey to the northern Spanish port metropolis of Santander to catch a ferry to the UK after the Liverpool participant and Portuguese worldwide was suggested to not journey by airplane following lung surgical procedure.

Members of the family had been filmed embracing one another as they broke down in tears earlier than strolling collectively in direction of the chapel.

The wake correct is ready to start out round 4pm, with Portugal’s president Marcelo de Sousa confirming he shall be amongst these arriving at the moment to pay their final respects forward of a funeral mass within the neighbouring church – the Igrega Matriz de Gondomar – at 10am tomorrow.

It isn’t but clear how public the wake shall be.

The chapel and neighbouring church are round a half-hour drive from the church in Porto the place Diogo and his spouse obtained married lower than two weeks in the past.

Native priest Jose Manuel Macedo initially revealed the funeral would happen at 4pm as we speak earlier than confirming yesterday night it had been put again to tomorrow morning.

‘We’re out there to have fun [their life] with everybody and to share the ache and the Christian hope,’ Macedo instructed CNN. 

It’s understood the delay was linked to minor paperwork points the lads’s family members, who had been nonetheless in Spain till late yesterday, had been attempting to resolve earlier than having the ability to repatriate the our bodies. 

Gondomar City Corridor issued an emotional assertion late yesterday because it confirmed it had decreed a day of official mourning.

It stated: ‘Gondomar City Corridor expresses its deepest sympathy on the loss of life of worldwide footballer Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, illustrious Gondomar residents who left prematurely, forsaking a outstanding sporting profession and an instance of dedication and professionalism.

‘All through his profession, Diogo Jota stood out for his footballing expertise and for the dedicated approach wherein he all the time represented the area and the nation, profitable nationwide and worldwide recognition.

‘Presently of sorrow and consternation, Gondomar City Corridor extends its deepest condolences to the household and associates of those two Gondomar residents.

‘By means of tribute, the Mayor of Gondomar Luis Filipe Araujo, has decreed by official order a day of municipal mourning to be noticed this Friday, 4 July.

‘Throughout this era, the municipal flag shall be flown at half-mast in all municipal buildings and services.’

The mayor described Diogo Jota as we speak as ‘a rare expertise and a real ambassador for Gondomar’ the place he grew up and went to highschool.

The our bodies of Diogo and his brother had been greeted by heartbroken supporters and applause as their coffins arrived at a church in Portugal forward of their funeral tomorrow.

Mourners will collect early this morning to pay their respects at a wake in Gondomar after Jota, 28, and his sibling died in a fiery crash within the early hours on Thursday. 

Dozens had been already standing outdoors on the church final night time and tears rolled down their faces because the hearses transporting the 2 our bodies arrived after 11pm. 

The tyre of Jota’s Lamborghini Huracan is claimed to have blown out whereas overtaking one other automobile on the A-52 at Cernadilla close to Zamora, simply ten miles over the border from Portugal. The supercar then got here off the highway, rolled and burst into flames.

The crash, which came about at round 12.35am, additionally ignited the encompassing vegetation. The emergency companies had been referred to as however the brothers couldn’t be saved. Police have stated they have no idea who had been behind the wheel. 

Spanish authorities official Angel Blanco stated the siblings died on the scene. 

On Thursday afternoon, hearses had been noticed arriving at a funeral residence within the Spanish city of Puebla de Sanabria, the place the our bodies had been taken after the incident.

Jota’s agent Jorge Mendes was pictured accompanying the participant’s mom as they entered the funeral residence, and he instructed reporters it was a ‘very tough’ time.

‘We misplaced two nice individuals. Diogo is an instance as an individual, husband, son, skilled. I nonetheless cannot consider it, it’s totally tough,’ stated Mendes, in tears. 

The hearses later departed for Gondomar. 

This morning’s wake will happen only a half-hour drive from Jota’s residence metropolis of Porto, northern Portugal – the place simply two weeks in the past the 28-year-old married his childhood sweetheart Rute Cardoso in a service full of household and associates. 

Jota and his brother Andre, 26, had been reportedly on a highway journey to Santander to catch a ferry to Britain after he was suggested to not fly following lung surgical procedure.

Liverpool are on account of begin pre-season coaching on Monday, so Jota was heading again to the UK on a highway journey. A Brittany Ferries service from Santander to Plymouth left at 4pm on Thursday, arriving in Devon at 11.15am on Friday.

The soccer membership stated in a press release that they had been ‘devastated’ by the tragedy and that Diogo’s household, associates and followers had suffered an ‘unimaginable loss‘. Flowers and tributes have been laid outdoors Anfield by supporters in tears.

Jota had simply married the mom of his three youngsters and companion for the reason that age of 16. He had described himself because the luckiest man on the earth to be her husband, sharing footage of their marriage ceremony day in his last Instagram submit on Wednesday.

Rute shared extra marriage ceremony day footage in a social media submit and stated: ‘My dream come true.’ Jota then replied within the feedback: ‘I am the fortunate one.’

The pair obtained collectively in 2013, it has been reported, and have three youngsters collectively – two sons and a daughter who was born in November. 

Jota was a part of Liverpool’s Premier League-winning facet within the 2024/25 marketing campaign, scoring six objectives in 26 appearances. He additionally performed for Portugal’s nationwide workforce and helped them win the Nations League final month.

His youthful brother performed for Penafiel, within the second tier of Portuguese soccer.  

The Spanish civil guard stated Jota was discovered useless on the scene alongside his brother.

‘The 1-1-2 Castilla y León operations room acquired a number of calls reporting a automobile accident at Km. 65 of the A-52, within the municipality of Cernadilla, Zamora. A automobile was reported to have been concerned in an accident and the automobile was on fireplace,’ they stated.

‘1-1-2 notified the Zamora Visitors Police, the Zamora Provincial Council Hearth Brigade, and the Sacyl Emergency Coordination Middle (CCU) of this accident. 

‘From there, a Medical Emergency Unit (UME) and the Major Care Medical Workers (MAP) from the Mombuey Well being Middle had been despatched, who confirmed the loss of life of two individuals on the scene.’

The Portuguese nationwide soccer workforce stated they’re ‘devastated’ by the loss of life of Jota, including he ‘was not solely a improbable participant with nearly 50 caps for the nationwide workforce, however a rare one who was revered by all his teammates and opponents‘.

His loss of life was confirmed by Pedro Proenca, head of the Portuguese Soccer Federation, who stated in a press release: ‘The Portuguese Soccer Federation and all of Portuguese soccer are utterly devastated by the deaths of Diogo Jota and André Silva, on Thursday morning, in Spain.

‘Rather more than an incredible participant, with nearly 50 matches for the Nationwide A Crew, Diogo Jota was a rare individual, revered by all teammates and opponents, somebody with an infectious pleasure and a reference locally itself.

‘On my behalf, and on behalf of the Portuguese Soccer Federation, I categorical my deepest condolences to the household and associates of Diogo and Andre Silva, in addition to Liverpool FC and FC Penafiel, the golf equipment the place, respectively, lined up the gamers.

‘The Portuguese Soccer Federation has already requested UEFA for a minute’s silence, this Thursday, earlier than the match of our nationwide workforce with Spain, within the girls’s European Championship. Misplaced to 2 champs. 

‘The disappearance of Diogo and Andre Silva symbolize irreparable losses for Portuguese soccer and we’ll do every thing to, each day, honor their legacy’.

Jota joined Liverpool from Wolves in 2020 and gained three main trophies with the Merseyside membership – together with the Premier League title final season. 

Cristiano Ronaldo, Jota’s pal and teammate, stated on Thursday: ‘It does not make any sense. Simply now we had been collectively for the nationwide workforce, you had been simply married. 

‘To your loved ones, to your spouse and youngsters, I ship my condolences and want all of them the energy on the earth. I do know you’ll all the time be with them. 

‘RIP, Diogo and Andre. We are going to miss you.’

Liverpool boss Arne Slot penned a touching tribute to Jota, vowing he’ll ‘by no means be forgotten’. He started: ‘What to say? What can anybody say at a time like this when the shock and the ache is so extremely uncooked? I want I had the phrases however I do know I don’t.

‘All I’ve are emotions that I do know so many individuals will share about an individual and a participant we liked dearly and a household we care a lot about.’

There have been additionally tributes from the likes of Jurgen Klopp, who described Jota as his ‘nice pal’, in addition to Liverpool team-mates Virgil van Dijk, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez.