The football world is united in mourning for the late Liverpool Vooruit Diogo Jota and his younger brother Andre Silva, after the couple died tragically last week.
Jota and his brother died when their car crashed in the early hours in North Spain last Thursday morning.
The accident came only 11 days after Jota was married, the youth dear Rute Cardoso, also 28, who is the mother of his two sons Dinis, Vier and Duarte, two and his baby daughter Mafalda, who is only eight months old.
An outpouring of emotion was followed in the days since the tragic events, with a joint funeral that located in their hometown Gondomar last Saturday, near Porto, in their birthplace.
Liverpool -Manager Arne Slot and members of the first team team were present at the funeral to express their respect and member of the family and friends of the brother.
Key figures of the hierarchy of the Premier League Champions, international teammates and football greats from the past of Portugal were also present in honor of Jota and Andre Silva.
The tribute has since continued in the days that his wife Mirjam and Reds -defender Andy Robertson put their own tribute outside of Anfield, where thousands of Liverpool fans have been trying since then in the days.
Jota will forever be loved by Liverpool fans for his contribution for his five years at Merseyside. He appeared 182 performances for the Reds and scored 65 times, giving 26 assists.
He was part of the Liverpool team that won the Premier League title last season and previously won the FA Cup and two competition cups.
The impact of Jota was also felt by people outside the field, with fans and players who remember his actions of kindness in the days since his death.
Luis Diaz is one of those who spoke about his late teammate in glowing terms.
“It is very difficult to receive this kind of news, it is very sad,” he told WinsportstV earlier this week.
'Nobody was prepared for this, he was an important companion when I arrived in Liverpool because his family welcomed me and we formed a great friendship. We had a healthy rivalry and it was important. '
Diaz also took the time to look back on the support Jota offered when the father of the Colombians Luis Manuel was abducted in their hometown Barrancas in October 2023.
Jota had the idea to keep a 'Diaz 7' sweater up in a show of their support for their teammate and his family when Liverpool went 1-0. Jota was the man to score the goal against Nottingham Forest, with the gesture that the Colombian will always remember.
“He made a very nice gesture towards me, which I will never forget,” Diaz said. “May he rest in peace, I have a great friend in my heart, who will always be remembered by his team.
'I want to send a lot of strength to his family, his wife, his children, because the truth is that they suffer a lot.
'(It hurts a lot) A lot, a lot. It was incredible when I woke up and saw the news. The truth is that I broke into tears. It is a very, very, very big pain. '
While the gesture is the gesture that fans will associate the most with Jota and Diaz, he has already shown kindness to the Colombians, even before he arrived in Liverpool from Porto in January 2022.
Diaz had rented Jota's house in Porto at the time, where the attacker had had a loan game in the club during the 2016-17 season.
In 2023, Jota had revealed in an interview with Fourfourtwo that he had allowed Diaz from the lease, asked for a decision that would have cost him thousands of pounds after he came to Liverpool.
“He rented the house I had lived in when I played for Porto,” Jota said. 'He paid me rent, then he played with me and I often still brought it up during our conversations.
“He arrived in January and had a contract with me until July, but because he would become my teammate, I left him out of the contract.”
Lewis Steele van Mail Sport remembered in his own tribute to Jota that the Liverpool star was a 'real, sober guy' and did not show any signs of ego despite his success with both club and country.
He revealed that Jota had granted a glowing reference to a former Wolves employee – after making his name in the Midlands Club – when they were interviewed at the end of last year for a role in the Liverpool media team. The reference helped to get his old colleague the job.
In the midst of the tribute in the last few days, a Liverpool fan, Steven Davies, had revealed that Jota had contacted after his own son Liam went through a difficult time.
Jota took the time to send Liam a video message of support and said: 'Hello Liam, I believe you don't have it easy now, so I just wanted to contact us to say that you have the support of everyone in Liverpool, just as you have always supported us.
'I am not an expert, but when I have a hard time, I always make sure that I listen to the doctors and do exactly what they tell me to do, all the things they say, such as eating and drinking the right things a big difference for me when I have a hard time.
'Hopefully it's the same for you. Take good care of yourself and hopefully we will see you soon in Anfield. '
After the shock news from the death of Jota arose, Steven shared the old clip on social media to mark the gesture.
On X he wrote: '4 years ago, when my boy was at his lowest, Diogo took the time to record this for him and it helped more than he will ever know.
'It was a small task, but it meant so much and I would like to thank him personally for it. Thank you Diogo. '
The success of Jota on the field had Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup Glory with Liverpool, together with two UEFA Nations League triumphs with Portugal.
The Premier League and Second Nations League Success came over the past two months, with his marriage to childhood love Rute part of one of the happiest periods of his life.
The locals in his hometown Gondomar, who spoke last week, noted that Jota's performance on the field had not changed his character. Jota turned out to have remained a grounded and friendly character at home.
“The family came from a very modest beginning,” a local Ana told The Guardian last week. 'Diogo was always such a friendly child – the ball has never left its feet.
“He always tried to help. He sent boots to my brother. If you needed something, it can take some time, but he always came on. '
Another local Cosme Silva, who coached Jota's father, said that the humility of Jota and his brother had been passed on by the family.
“They are such good people. Always generous, always willing to help, “he said. “He remained grounded. The fame never went to his head. '
Given the role of Jota in the success of Liverpool and Portugal, as well as stories that reveal further insight into his character, formal and long -term tribute seem a certainty.
Fans of Liverpool have already established a mural near Anfield, where fans leave their own messages to a player who will be 'Forever 20'.
On Friday it was announced that Liverpool retires the number 20 sweater from each of the teams of their club in honor of Jota's memory.
It is the first time in their history that they have made such a decision and it is a reflection of the measure in which he was held.
Immediately after the fatal accident, Liverpool would retire the No. 20, but they only took this step after consultation with his widow and his family.
It is generally acknowledged that this is a unique honor for a unique player, simply because Liverpool has extended the retirement to all levels: from the first team of the men to the women's side and all male and female academiet teams
The Reds will also honor Jota when they go on the field on the field for the first time since his death in a pre-season-friendly against Preston on Sunday.
The friendly, which will be played in Deepdale instead of Anfield, starts after a rendition of you never runs alone, while Preston representatives are a wreath in front.
The fans and the players – who will play in black bracelets – will then observe a minute of silence in honor of Jota and Silva, while 'digital tribute' will play on screens around the field.
The hosts have also made a 'memorial edition of the MatchDay program' that has been set to contain tribute to both men.
Fans can watch the tribute and the competition themselves on ITV when the coverage starts at 2.40 p.m.