Diogo Jota funeral details confirmed as Liverpool star taken home to Portugal

Diogo Jota's body will return to Portugal ahead of the Liverpool player's funeral proceedings starting tomorrow (Friday) afternoon. The Portuguese international died in a car crash alongside his brother Andre Silva while the pair were in Spain.

The incident happened in the early hours of Thursday morning, with the car they were travelling in said to have veered off the road and set on fire. Police believe a burst tyre caused the accident, with Jota leaving behind three children and a wife, who he married less than two weeks ago.

As per a report from The Daily Mail, Diogo and Andre's bodies are set to leave a funeral home in the Spanish town of Puebla de Sanabria in the coming hours. On Friday afternoon, the wake will begin in Sao Cosme, a half-hour drive from his home city of Porto, northern Portugal, as confirmed by the local priest, Jose Manuel Macedo.

The wake will be followed by a funeral service, which is set to be held on Saturday morning. It will be hosted in the same town where Jota married his childhood sweetheart Rute last month, with the forward having been on his way back to the United Kingdom when the crash took place. He'd been heading for the port city of Santander to catch a ferry, having been told to avoid flying after undergoing lung surgery.

In a statement released to the Liverpool website, Reds boss Arne Slot opened up about the final conversation they had. He said: "The last time we spoke, I congratulated Diogo on winning the Nations League and wished him luck for his forthcoming wedding. In many ways, it was a dream summer for Diogo and his family, which makes it all the more heartbreaking that it should end like this.

"When I first came to the club, one of the first songs I got to know was the one that our fans sing for Diogo. I had not worked with him previously but I knew straight away that if the Liverpool supporters, who have seen so many great players over the years, had such a unique chant for Diogo, he must have special qualities."

Ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, who brought Jota to the club in 2020, said in a social media post: "This is a moment where I struggle! There must be a bigger purpose! But I can't see it! I'm heartbroken to hear about the passing of Diogo and his brother Andre.

"Diogo was not only a fantastic player, but also a great friend, a loving and caring husband and father! We will miss you so much! All my prayers, thoughts and power to Rute, the kids, the family, the friends and everyone who loved them! Rest in peace - Love J."