Funeral service for football professionals: Diogo Jota and brother – moving sermon

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk wore a flower container with Diogo Jota’s rear number 20, national team colleague Ruben Neves flew directly from the Club World Cup from the USA: Family and close friends of the deadly crashed Portuguese national football player from FC Liverpool, Diogo Jota, and his brother André da Silva Fearing ceremony said goodbye.

In the small church of her hometown of Gondomar near Porto, only a few funeral guests were found from the closest circle, including Diogo Jota’s parents and his wife Rod Cardoso. Many other people waited in silent prayer and grief on the square in front of the church, where the service via loudspeakers could be followed. The two brothers were then buried in the community’s cemetery.

Bishop turns directly to the three children in sermon

At the moving sermon, the bishop of Porto, Manuel Linda, turned directly to the three small children of Diogo Jota and his wife Rut Cardoso at the age of four and two years and seven months, but they were not part of the church. “Dear Dinis, Mafalda and Duarte, children who are not here. You suffer infinitely at that moment, maybe not because you don’t recognize it. I will pray a lot for you. Those who suffer the most are your mother and grandparents,” said the bishop, as the sports newspaper “Record” reported.

To see the remains of a child is a great agony, but if there are two coffins, you simply lack the words. “But there is compassion. We are here to tell you that we too suffered a lot. We are with you,” he tried to donate comfort.

“If it is difficult to see an adult crying, it is even more difficult to see a child. I send you a special greeting through your mother and grandparents. I’m with you, but also Jesus is with you,” said the bishop at the end of his sermon, who described a reporter like “a letter to the children”.

Diogo Jota’s wife ran behind the coffin

After the funeral service, the two simple wooden coffins were worn into the ringing of bells from the church, while the choir sang the Ave Maria. Priest led the funeral procession to the cemetery. Large black and white photos of the died were also worn in front. Diogo Jota’s wife, who went directly behind her husband’s coffin, was also seen in pictures. In the cemetery right next to the church, a larger crowd had already waited to attend the funeral at a distance.

Friend Neves flew from Club World Cup to the funeral service

Numerous teammates from Diogo Jota also came to the funeral service: In addition to the Liverpool stars van Dijk, Andy Robertson and coach Arne Slot, Diogo Jota’s friend and national team colleague Neves also came among many others. The Portuguese had played for Al-Hilal at the Club World Cup the evening before and cried there for his late friend during a minute’s commemoration.

The heads of the Portuguese state, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, as well as friends, neighbors, athletes and fans had already honored the brothers at the traditional dead guard the day before.

Diogo Jota had recently married

The 28-year-old Diogo Jota, who was called Diogo José Teixeira da Silva with a bourgeois name, died in the night of Thursday in a car accident in northwestern Spain together with his brother André da Silva (25). The accident was probably triggered by a burst tire. The car came off the road, broke through a guardrail and went up in flames.

The football world reacted shocked to death. Jota had just married his long -time girlfriend Cardoso on June 22, just eleven days before the fatal accident. The two have been a couple since their school days.