Liverpool: Liverpool are preparing to bid an emotional farewell to Diogo Jota at the forward's funeral in Portugal on Saturday. The club, as well as fans and football as a whole, are in mourning after the 28-year-old Portugal international and his brother Andre Silva were killed in a car crash in Spain in the early hours of Thursday.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mohamed Salah, one of the last players to share his grief on social media, admitted he was dreading returning to the club in the wake of Jota's shock death. Some players were due back on Friday to begin the preliminaries of pre-season testing but the first tranche of a phased return was postponed as everyone at the club continues to try to come to terms with the tragedy.
Salah expressed his deep sorrow, stating, "I am truly lost for words. Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break." He highlighted the difficulty of accepting Jota's absence and extended his thoughts to Jota's family, emphasizing the need for support for those close to Diogo and Andre.
It is believed that a flight to Portugal has been chartered by the club. Reports in Portugal suggest that players, most of whom are still on summer holiday, are expected to attend, although Liverpool has yet to confirm arrangements. Mourners gathered at a wake in Portugal on Friday morning, ahead of the brothers' funeral at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar in Sao Cosme.
Jota leaves behind a newly-married wife, Rute, and three young children. Initially, the funeral was held in private for family but it was later opened to the public, with hundreds queuing around the 17th-century church. Notable attendees included Nottingham Forest's Jota Silva, Joao Moutinho, the president of the Portuguese Football Federation Pedro Proenca, and Porto president Andre Villas-Boas.
The country's president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and prime minister Luis Montenegro attended in person, while members of the Portuguese parliament paid tribute to the two brothers. At Anfield, a temporary shrine has been built, with thousands leaving flowers, shirts, scarves, and cards.
A tearful former Liverpool captain, Jordan Henderson, laid flowers and read tributes at Anfield. He shared memories of Jota on Instagram, highlighting their friendship and Jota's joyful spirit. An Everton delegation also attended Anfield to pay their respects and lay wreaths.
