Touching moment ex-Liverpool captain lays flowers for Diogo Jota – as family gathers for funeral

Family and friends of Liverpool star Diogo Jota’s have started to gather ahead of his funeral, as the forward’s physiotherapist reveals the details of their final conversation.

Family, friends and team mates of Liverpool star Diogo Jota’s have started to gather for the Portugal forward’s funeral proceedings.

Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva, 25, were killed on Wednesday night local time when a tyre on the star’s Lamborghini blew out and the car hurtled off the road, catching fire.

A wake for the brothers will take place at 8am on Saturday at the nearby Capela da Ressurreicao before their funeral at the Igreja Matriz on Saturday at 10am, in their hometown of Gondomar near the Portuguese city of Porto, parish priest Jose Manuel Macedo said.

On Friday, Jota’s family and friends held a private gathering at the Chapel of the Resurrection in Gondomar, their hometown in Portugal, as a crowd gathered to pay their respects at the church throughout the day.

Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has also been spotted in the small town, along with several well-known figures from the world of football, including Portugal and Manchester United player Diogo Dalot and former Liverpool players Fabinho

Primeira Liga club Braga players Ricardo Horta and João Moutinho were also seen arriving at the wake.

The outpouring of tributes came as Jota’s physiotherapist was forced to deny that his client was partying before he was killed in the crash.

Respiratory physiotherapist Miguel Goncalves said Jota was an “unparalleled professional” who was “excited, confident in his recovery and enthusiastic” for the upcoming season.

Dr Goncalves told Portuguese outlet Record: “I said goodbye to him and his brother, Andre, at around 8:30pm. His brother was a great companion and decided to go with him, to accompany him on the trip.

“Diogo and Andre weren’t partying at all, they weren’t in the so-called ‘good mood’ life, they had nothing that deserved any repair. Nothing.”

Isabel Silva, mother of Diogo Jota, arrives at a public wake held for Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva at the Capela da Ressurreicao on July 04, 2025 in Gondomar, Portugal. Picture: Getty Images.

People gather at the church where the bodies of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and Silva have been brought for a wake and funeral in Gondomar, near Porto, Portugal, on Friday, July 4, 2025. Picture: AP Photo/Manu Fernandez.

A vigil will also be held at the Chapel of Resurrection in Gondomar, Jota and Silva’s hometown on the outskirts of Porto, today.

Earlier in the day, the brothers’ bodies were transported to the locality of Puebla de Sanabria, where two hearses could be seen outside a funeral home and influential Portuguese football agent Jorge Mendes.

Jota’s Liverpool teammates have spoken of their struggle to comprehend his death, with captain Virgil van Dijk writing on Instagram that he was “absolutely devastated and in total disbelief”.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot said everyone associated with the club owed it to Jota to “stand together and be there for one another”.

Jota had married his partner Rute Cardoso on June 22, posting a video of their wedding on Instagram just hours before the accident. They had three children.

Portuguese and UK media reported Jota was driving to the northern Spanish port of Santander to take a ferry to England, avoiding a flight on medical advice after a recent lung operation.

The first group of Slot’s Liverpool squad were scheduled to be at the club’s training complex on Friday for the opening round of physical tests after their post-season break.

But their return has reportedly been pushed back until Monday. Liverpool’s first pre-season match is against Preston on July 13. The club have opened a book of condolence and lowered flags to half-mast. Fans have left flowers, scarfs and shirts at a makeshift shrine outside Anfield and there are similar scenes at Wolves’ Molineux Stadium, where Jota played previously.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of Portugal, and Pedro Proenca, President of the Portuguese Football Federation, embrace at the public wake held for Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva. Picture: Getty Images.

The grandfather of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva is comforted outside the funeral chapel and wake for Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva in Gondomar, on the outskirts of Porto, on July 4, 2025. Picture: AFP.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of Portugal, arrives at a public wake held for Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva at the Capela da Ressurreicao on July 04, 2025 in Gondomar, Portugal. Picture: Getty.

‘Family mourning’

Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who brought Jota to the Reds in 2020, said he was “heartbroken” in an Instagram post, while the club spoke of an “unimaginable loss”.

Current boss Arne Slot described Jota as a “unique human being” and a “friend to everyone”.

A sea of shirts, scarfs, flowers, balloons, photographs and banners lay outside the club’s Anfield stadium as fans flocked to pay tribute.

“It is just so raw. It is like a family mourning,” said Tom Barry, a 32-year-old mechanic who was wearing a red Liverpool shirt with Jota’s name and number on the back.

Portuguese also woke up stunned to the news, with retiree Jose Zambujinho, 69, saying he was mourning “an incalculable loss”.

“I was depressed when I heard the news … Portugal has lost a great player,” Caramo Cassama, a 39-year-old security guard, told AFP in Lisbon.

Portuguese football agent Jorge Mendes (R) accompanies the mother of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and Penafiel player Andre Silva as they leave the funeral home in Puebla de Sanabria. Picture: AFP.

Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said Jota “greatly honoured Portugal’s name”, while his former clubs Porto, Atletico Madrid and Wolverhampton Wanderers were among the string of footballing and political figures expressing shock and condolences.

Both players “will be commemorated not only for their footballing talent, but also for their personal and human qualities”, Porto president Andre Villas-Boas said in a statement.

“We are heartbroken. Diogo was adored by our fans, loved by his teammates and cherished by everyone who worked with him … the memories he created will never be forgotten,” Wolves said.

Former Liverpool FC captain Jordan Henderson reacts as he lays flowers and pays his respects to Diogo Jota at Anfield on July 04, 2025 in Liverpool, England. Picture: Getty Images.

Portugal and Spain observed a moment of silence before their Women’s Euro 2025 match in Switzerland, with UEFA announcing all games at the tournament would do so on Thursday and Friday.

Jota scored nine goals in all competitions last season as Liverpool cruised to their record-equalling 20th English league title.

Capped 49 times by Portugal, Jota moved to England in 2017 with Wolves and earned a £45 million ($62 million) move to Liverpool three years later.

His goalscoring prowess quickly made him a fans’ favourite, as he netted 65 times for the Reds in five years and lifted the League Cup and FA Cup in the 2021/22 season.

Younger brother Andre played in midfield for FC Penafiel in Portugal’s second tier.

With The Sun and AFP

Originally published as Touching moment ex-Liverpool captain lays flowers for Diogo Jota – as family gathers for funeral