Liverpool players were applauded as they arrived to attend Diogo Jota’s funeral carrying two wreaths to honour their team-mate and his late brother.
Jota, the Portugal and Liverpool star, was tragically killed in a car crash on Thursday which also took the life of his brother Andre Silva. The football stars were 28 and 25 years old, respectively.
With the funeral service beginning at 10am, managers and team-mates began arriving to pay their respects.
Liverpool club captain Virgil van Dijk was pictured carrying a wreath in the shape of a football shirt, featuring Jota’s No20.
Andrew Robertson, who had spoken of his closeness to Jota, carried a wreath featuring the No30, the number Jota’s brother wore at his club.
Liverpool players were applauded by the crowds that had gathered outside the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar, where the service will be held.
Liverpool Arne Slot looked solemn with his head bowed as he walked with the squad into the church.
Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo were also among members of the Liverpool squad, who arrived together for the service.
Ex-Liverpool club captain Jordan Henderson and James Milner had joined their former team-mates. Members of Liverpool’s hierarchy were in attendance, including FSG’s chief executive of football Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes, sporting director.
Family and friends were seen in tears as they carried their coffins into the church.
Distraught loved ones, including Jota’s wife Rute Cardoso, were seen walking through the the brothers’ hometown of Gondomar in tears while other distraught mourners were being held up as they walked.
Only family and friends are allowed inside the church, however a livestream with audio of the service, lead by the Bishop of Porto, will be played outside to thousands of mourners who are expected to line the streets to pay their respects.
Aerial footage showed queues stretching from the small chapel, around the corner to the nearby church where his funeral will be held.
Jota’s heartbroken wife and parents gathered at the wake and held a vigil at the coffins of the former Wolves striker and his brother.
Rute Cardoso, who married the 28-year-old footballer on June 22, walked into the chapel in Gondomar after returning with her husband’s body from Spain on Thursday.
The city overlooking Porto is where the couple, who share three children, met and started dating as teenagers.
Diogo and Andre’s mother Isabel, father Joaquim and their grandfather were also emotional on arriving at the chapel.
Joaquim hugged several people and was supported by his brother and later raised a hand to mourners as he left with his wife. They returned around an hour later.
Portugal manager Roberto Martinez was also among the mourners attending the service.
Just last month, Jota had been part of Martinez’s Portugal squad that triumphed in the UEFA Nations League.
Former Portugal boss Fernando Santos is also among the attendees, as well as Vasco Seabra, who had coached Jota at his first club, Pacos de Ferreira.
Ruben Neves, who played with Jota with Wolves and Portugal, and Joao Cancelo both made transatlantic trips in order to attend the ceremony.
Neves and Cancelo had last night played at the Club World Cup in the United States for Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal.
Both Portugal internationals had been emotional during tribute for their late team-mate ahead of the match in Orlando, Florida.
Father-of-three Jota was killed in the early hours of Thursday morning along with his footballer brother Andre Silva, 25.
Their car burst into flames after a suspected tyre blowout on the A-52 highway near Zamora in north-west Spain. No other vehicles were involved, police have said.
The brothers were on a road trip to the northern Spanish port city of Santander to catch a ferry to the UK after the Liverpool player and Portuguese international was advised not to travel by plane following lung surgery.
