The funeral of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother, André Silva, will take place on Saturday at 10 a.m. local time in the Portuguese town of Gondomar.
The brothers were killed in a car crash near Zamora, Spain, on Thursday.
ESPN can confirm that the funeral will be held at the Matriz de Gondomar church, located 33 kilometres from Porto. A wake will take place from 4 p.m. local time on Friday.
The two bodies arrived in hearses just before midnight to Gondomar, André Silva’s birthplace, and were met with applause by local residents.
Spain’s Guardia Civil (Civil Guard) told ESPN on Friday the investigation into what caused the accident is ongoing. A preliminary investigation suggested that a blown tire while overtaking could have been the cause of the incident.
A Spanish government official, Ángel Blanco, said on Thursday that the car was completely burned and that the two players were inside the vehicle.
According to Miguel Gonçalves, a Portuguese physiotherapist who had recently treated Jota, the Liverpool forward had been advised to travel by car instead of flying after undergoing minor surgery on his right lung at the end of the season. Jota won the UEFA Nations League with Portugal last month.
“The base of his right lung had collapsed slightly, but with post-operative physiotherapy he was practically perfect,” Gonçalves told Record of Costa, as reported in Marca.
“When I left him, he was no longer in pain and was going back to Liverpool. He told me that the trip would take about eight hours, but that they would stop at a hotel in the Burgos area to rest. Diogo was very aware of his professionalism. They had to get to Santander, catch the ferry, and then go to England.
“The family would arrive later by plane, and then on Monday, he had a doctor’s appointment in Liverpool to assess the situation. I started working with him last Saturday and was with him every day until Wednesday. I said goodbye to them at dinner time.”
Jota’s agent, Jorge Mendes, travelled to Zamora to be with the players’ family.
A tearful Mendes told reporters: “We’ve lost two great people. Diogo is a good example as a person, husband, son, and professional. I still can’t believe it, it’s very difficult.”
Portuguese second division club Penafiel, where Silva played last season, have declared a day of mourning and said that they will pay tribute to the player at upcoming sporting events.
