Crowds mourn Liverpool star Jota in his Portuguese hometown

[ad_1] James Waterhouse BBC Information

Reporting fromGondamar, Portugal <img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/385f/live/1e7e3f70-5963-11f0-8d3a-970a172b5c32.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/385f/live/1e7e3f70-5963-11f0-8d3a-970a172b5c32.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/385f/live/1e7e3f70-5963-11f0-8d3a-970a172b5c32.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/385f/live/1e7e3f70-5963-11f0-8d3a-970a172b5c32.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/385f/live/1e7e3f70-5963-11f0-8d3a-970a172b5c32.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/385f/live/1e7e3f70-5963-11f0-8d3a-970a172b5c32.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/385f/live/1e7e3f70-5963-11f0-8d3a-970a172b5c32.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/385f/live/1e7e3f70-5963-11f0-8d3a-970a172b5c32.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="EPA / Shutterstock Liverpool player Darwin Nunez attends the public wake in Gondomar on Friday alongside his girlfriend Lorena Manas" class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> EPA / Shutterstock Liverpool participant Darwin Nunez attends the general public wake in Gondomar on Friday

Crowds mourned Diogo Jota in his hometown to pay their respects to the Liverpool ahead and his brother André Silva, who each died in a automotive crash on Thursday.

Portugal's president, Liverpool and nationwide crew footballers, and followers gathered within the small city of Gondomar, on the outskirts of Porto, the place the pair grew up.

Their dad and mom, grandfather and different members of the family held a personal vigil at a chapel within the city earlier than it was opened to the general public for a wake. The funeral will probably be held on Saturday.

The pair - each footballers, with André taking part in in Portugal's second division - have been killed after the Lamborghini they have been travelling in crashed within the Spanish province of Zamora.

Followers carrying Portugal flags, flowers and different memorabilia have been seen weeping as they queued to pay their respects.

These in attendance included President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, nationwide crew stars Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, João Moutinho, Diogo Dalot and Ricardo Horta, and Jota's agent Jorge Mendes.

Later within the day, Liverpool gamers and employees have been seen within the city, together with captain Virgil Van Dijk. Plenty of Jota's former teammates additionally attended.

For years as a younger boy, Jota performed for native membership Gondomar SC, which named its academy after him in 2022.

Emblazoned on its signal is a quote from Jota: "It isn't about the place we come from however the place we'll."

Outdoors the membership, shirts and scarves have been laid inside a hoop of candles.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/1594/live/9f963050-58f4-11f0-852a-fb4f43c1b4cc.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/1594/live/9f963050-58f4-11f0-852a-fb4f43c1b4cc.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/1594/live/9f963050-58f4-11f0-852a-fb4f43c1b4cc.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/1594/live/9f963050-58f4-11f0-852a-fb4f43c1b4cc.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/1594/live/9f963050-58f4-11f0-852a-fb4f43c1b4cc.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/1594/live/9f963050-58f4-11f0-852a-fb4f43c1b4cc.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/1594/live/9f963050-58f4-11f0-852a-fb4f43c1b4cc.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/1594/live/9f963050-58f4-11f0-852a-fb4f43c1b4cc.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Getty Images A man stands in front of a memorial for Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota, set up at the Gondomar Sport Clube's stadium" class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> Getty Photographs The 28-year-old father-of-three - who this yr received the Nations League with Portugal and Premier League with Liverpool - married his long-term accomplice Rute Cardoso simply 11 days earlier than the deadly crash.

He had been travelling again to Liverpool for pre-season coaching, making the journey by automotive and ferry as a result of he had undergone minor surgical procedure and had been suggested towards flying.

Liverpool stated his loss of life was a "tragedy that transcends" the membership.

Followers additionally grieved outdoors the membership's Anfield stadium.

Former captain Jordan Henderson was seen in tears as he laid a wreath, with a card that learn: "Relaxation in peace my good friend, alongside together with your brother André. We'll all miss you."

There was additionally a touching second at Oasis's reunion gig on Friday night when Jota's picture appeared on display on the finish of Dwell Endlessly, prompting applause round Cardiff's Principality Stadium.

Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah admitted he was dreading returning to the membership within the wake of Jota's shock loss of life.

"I'm really misplaced for phrases. Till yesterday, I by no means thought there could be one thing that will frighten me of going again to Liverpool after the break," Salah wrote in a submit on social media.

A delegation from Liverpool's metropolis rival membership Everton - together with Portugal-born strikers Beto and Youssef Chermiti - additionally attended and left flowers outdoors Anfield.

Former Liverpool councillor Peter Millea - a house and away common who had come to pay his respects - informed the BBC: "There was one thing about him as a participant when he first got here to us that he turned an prompt hit.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/ab96/live/301cf560-5908-11f0-b54d-c36692042f91.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/ab96/live/301cf560-5908-11f0-b54d-c36692042f91.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/ab96/live/301cf560-5908-11f0-b54d-c36692042f91.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/ab96/live/301cf560-5908-11f0-b54d-c36692042f91.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/ab96/live/301cf560-5908-11f0-b54d-c36692042f91.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/ab96/live/301cf560-5908-11f0-b54d-c36692042f91.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/ab96/live/301cf560-5908-11f0-b54d-c36692042f91.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/ab96/live/301cf560-5908-11f0-b54d-c36692042f91.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="PA Media Tributes at Anfield Stadium, home of Liverpool, in memory of Diogo Jota who has died at the age of 28." class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> PA Media "He was a kind of gamers you possibly can simply take to, due to the way wherein he carried out himself on and off the pitch and the necessary objectives he scored."

Mr Millea stated some followers at Anfield had damaged into impromptu renditions of the mantra whereas paying their respects.

"I am positive we'll hear it loud and clear at Wembley for the Neighborhood Defend and we'll hear it at Preston for the primary pre-season away recreation, you recognize it's going to be sung across the subject towards Athletic Bilbao after which in the course of the course of the remainder of the season and possibly forever-more," he stated.

Elsewhere, followers left flowers, scarves and shirts outdoors Wolves' Molineux Stadium, the place Jota performed previous to his transfer to Anfield.

At Wimbledon, Portuguese tennis participant Francisco Cabral wore a black ribbon to mark the passing of his countrymen.

A minute's silence was held within the Girls's Euro 2025 recreation between Denmark and Sweden.

Liverpool has cancelled pre-season health assessments that have been resulting from happen at this time for some gamers on account of yesterday's information. A phased return of coaching will now start on Monday.