Family and teammates arrive in Portugal for funeral of Liverpool's Diogo Jota

Liverpool players and staff past and present have arrived in Portugal to pay their respects at Diogo Jota’s funeral following the 28-year-old forward’s death in a car crash in Spain.

The father-of-three was killed alongside his brother André Silva, 25, after a Lamborghini they were travelling in burst into flames following a suspected tyre blowout in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The brothers were reportedly heading to catch a boat from northern Spain to go to England where Jota was to rejoin with Liverpool after a summer break.

Jota had married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso, with whom he had three children, 11 days before the accident.

Liverpool players walk to church to pay their respects. / Credit: AP

Reds manager Arne Slot, captain Virgil van Dijk, defender Andrew Robertson, midfielder Alexis Mac Allister and former team-mates Jordan Henderson and James Milner could be seen in Portugal on Friday evening ahead of Saturday’s funeral.

Portugal’s national team coach Roberto Martínez and several top Portuguese players are also in attendance, including Manchester City duo Bernardo Silva and Rúben Dias and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernándes.

The funeral was set to begin at 10am on Saturday, according to parish priest at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar in Sao Cosme, Jose Manuel Macedo.

It comes after family and friends gathered for the brothers’ wake on Friday, with a queue forming outside the Portuguese chapel.

The brothers’ parents attended the Sao Cosme Chapel, the Capela da Ressurreicao, in the town of Gondomar near Porto on Friday.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro and Jota’s agent are also among the attendees of Saturday’s ceremony.

Manchester City and Portugal player Ruben Dias arrives at ceremony in the town of Gondomar, near Porto. / Credit: PA

Jota and Silva were both found dead after the car crashed on the A-52 in Palacios de Sanabria near the city of Zamora at 12.40am on Thursday.

Police said they were investigating the possibility that the Lamborghini left the road because of a tyre blowout while overtaking.

Wolves and Portugal player Nelson Semedo (far left) arrives at the funeral. / Credit: PA

A source from the government sub-delegation in Zamora confirmed “a possible speeding incident” was being looked at.

Pictures of the aftermath of the crash showed debris scattered along the side of the road including what appeared to be charred parts of the vehicle.

No other vehicles are said to have been involved in the incident.