Diogo Jota’s funeral held in his hometown of Gondomar – The New York Times

Footballers from around the world have convened on Gondomar, Portugal, to attend Diogo Jota’s funeral.
Jota and brother Andre Silva, a professional player for Portuguese side Penafiel, died on Thursday after being involved in a car crash in Zamora, Spain.
The Liverpool forward, 28, was travelling back to England for the start of pre-season training after being advised not to fly following minor surgery.
The service was held at the Chapel of Resurrection in Gondomar, on the outskirts of Porto.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk and defender Andy Robertson carried wreaths with the numbers 20 and 30 (Jota and Silva’s shirt numbers). Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson was also seen with the squad.
Portugal team-mates Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo, who played for their club Al Hilal in the Club World Cup on Friday in Florida, were in attendance.
Several more Portugal players paid their respects, including Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, Danilo Pereira, Jose Sa and Joao Felix.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot and Jota’s national team head coach Roberto Martinez were also present, as was Jota’s former Wolverhampton Wanderers head coach Nuno Espirito Santo.
Last season, Jota won the Premier League with Liverpool and the Nations League with Portugal, before marrying Rute Cardoso in his home city of Porto, northern Portugal, in late June. The couple have three children. 
An online and in-person book of condolences was opened by Liverpool on Thursday as people, including former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson and deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, started to pay their respects at Anfield.
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Slot and former manager Jurgen Klopp, who signed Jota from Wolves, led tributes to the player online alongside similar messages from around and beyond the football world. 
Slot described “the sense of shock” at Liverpool following “an unimaginable loss” and hailed Jota as a player and a person, while Klopp said he was “heartbroken” by the news.
Tributes also included those from teammates and players across the football world, British prime minister Keir Starmer, patron of the FA Prince William and Portuguese prime minister Luis Montenegro. 
Mohammed Salah, Liverpool’s third top goalscorer of all time, said he was “frightened” to return for preseason with the club after Jota’s death.
He registered 65 goals and 26 assists in 182 games for Liverpool, spanning an FA Cup win in 2022, two Carabao Cups in 2022 and 2024 and the club’s 20th league title. 
Jota signed for Liverpool in September 2020 from Wolves where he helped promote the team back to the Premier League with 17 goals in their 2017-18 Championship title-winning campaign. 
(Photo: Octavio Passos/Getty Images)
Nnamdi Onyeagwara joined us in November 2022, initially helping us cover the World Cup before becoming a Junior News Editor in January 2023. Born in North London, Nnamdi attended Nottingham Trent University and previously worked at The Voice and the Barnet Post. Follow Nnamdi on Twitter @nnamdionye

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