'Devastated': Liverpool teammates grieve Jota

Diogo Jota's teammates astatine Liverpool person been expressing their grief pursuing the forward's decease connected Thursday with Jordan Henderson visibly affectional portion laying flowers successful the Portugal international's representation astatine Anfield and skipper Virgil van Dijk saying helium is successful "total disbelief."

Jota and his brother, André Silva, were killed successful a car crash adjacent Zamora, Spain, connected Thursday. ESPN tin corroborate that the funeral volition beryllium held astatine the Matriz de Gondomar church, located 33 kilometres from Jota's location metropolis of Porto. A aftermath volition instrumentality spot from 4 p.m. section clip connected Friday.

Police confirmed that Jota, who was 28, and his brother, who was 25, were the lone radical successful the car. Jota's decease comes weeks aft helium joined his spouse Rute Cardoso. They person 3 children, the youngest calved past year.

Jota's decease has travel arsenic an understandable daze to his teammates, galore of whom person taken to societal media to springiness their condolences.

"Man, I can't judge it, I don't wanna judge it," Van Dijk said successful a post connected Instagram. "Absolutely devastated and successful full disbelief. What a quality being, what a player, but astir importantly what an unbelievable household man.

"You meant truthful overmuch to each of america and you ever will! For your household to suffer 2 sons, a hubby and a begetter is conscionable unimaginable. So cruel and unfair. My bosom is breaking for each of your beauteous family, for Rute and for your kids. I committedness you that successful these hard times and beyond we volition ever beryllium determination for your family.

"A champion forever, No. 20 forever. It's been a privilege to person stood by your broadside connected the pitch, and to person been your person disconnected it."

Tears could beryllium seen moving down the look of Liverpool's erstwhile skipper Henderson, who present plays for Dutch nine Ajax, arsenic helium laid a bouquet of flowers and Liverpool scarf alongside hundreds of others extracurricular Anfield connected Friday.

In an Instagram post expressing sympathy for the "unimaginable" symptom the brothers' household volition beryllium feeling, Henderson said: "Jots it was a pleasance to stock a transportation with you but much importantly a friendship. All the laughs we had disconnected the transportation and trying to find ways to upwind milly up and get him fined, which we ne'er could. Taking pictures of maine dormant connected the autobus travelling past sending them to maine later. You ever wanted to person a laughter and were a pleasance to beryllium around.

"I cognize however overmuch Rute and your household meant to you and I cognize you volition ever beryllium looking down connected them. Thank you for everything you brought into this world, we volition each miss you."

Mohamed Salah said successful a post connected X: "I americium genuinely mislaid for words. Until yesterday, I ne'er thought determination would beryllium thing that would frighten maine of going backmost to Liverpool aft the break. Teammates travel and spell but not similar this.

"It's going to beryllium highly hard to judge that Diogo won't beryllium determination erstwhile we spell back. My thoughts are with his wife, his children, and of people his parents who abruptly mislaid their children. Those adjacent to Diogo and his member André request each the enactment they tin get. They volition ne'er beryllium forgotten."

Trent Alexander-Arnold, who near Liverpool for Real Madrid this summer, said successful post connected societal media that Jota was a "true friend."

"It's truthful hard to find the close words erstwhile your caput and bosom are struggling to judge that idiosyncratic you attraction truthful overmuch astir has gone," helium said. "Diogo, your household was your world. They were everything. For Rute, his children, and his parents, each of our hearts are broken. And for André arsenic well. Brothers and champion friends.

"When it's little painful, I privation to retrieve Diogo with a large smile. So galore laughs and blessed moments. He was specified a large teammate and a existent friend. Forever No. 20. Rest successful peace, Diogo."

The Liverpool players' tributes joined those of the club's hierarchy and caput manager Arne Slot who said the "sense of daze is absolute" successful a statement connected Thursday.