Reasons for the quick scheduling of Diogo Jota’s funeral following the tragic passing of the Liverpool star have been disclosed.
Diogo Jota’s funeral is set to occur just two days after he and his brother, Andre Silva, tragically lost their lives in a car accident. The brothers were involved in a fatal crash in Zamora, northwestern Spain, early Thursday morning while traveling to Santander. Their green Lamborghini suffered a tire blowout while overtaking on the A52, leading to a fire that resulted in both being pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Zamora Provincial Council.
Jota’s death comes just ten days after he married his childhood sweetheart, Rute Cardoso, who is the mother of his three young children. Autopsies were conducted at a local forensic unit in Zamora, and later that day, hearses were seen arriving at a funeral home in Puebla de Sanabria.
Funeral arrangements for the brothers will commence shortly, as reported by multiple sources. Local priest Jose Manuel Macedo confirmed that a wake will be held at Sao Cosme Chapel, located about 30 minutes from Jota’s hometown of Porto. This service is scheduled to start at 3 PM on Friday, followed by a funeral mass at 10 AM the next day at Igreja Matriz de Gondomar, a church near where Jota recently wed. Their bodies will be interred at the local cemetery, as reported by beIN Sports.
Macedo stated, “The bodies of the brothers will arrive at the resurrection chapel for the wake tomorrow, and the funeral will be at 10 AM on Saturday. We’re here to celebrate their lives and share in the grief and hope.”
In Portugal, it’s customary for funerals to occur within 48 hours of death, with wakes being part of the tradition, which includes wearing black for mourning and a full Catholic service. It remains unclear whether the funeral will be public or private, and whether Jota’s teammates will attend to pay their respects.
Liverpool has announced plans to “rightly immortalize” Jota’s No. 20 shirt following requests to retire it. The 28-year-old scored 65 goals in all competitions for the club, winning two Carabao Cups, the FA Cup, and the Premier League.
