Rute Cardoso, wife of Diogo Jota, was greeted with numerous heartfelt tributes honoring the Liverpool player and his brother Andre upon her visit to Anfield after their untimely demise.
Cardoso, apparently in the company of friends and family, was present at the home of the Premier League champions on Friday. She laid flowers and spent time observing the numerous floral offerings and messages left by fans.
The Liverpool star, aged 28, along with his 25-year-old brother, lost their lives in the early hours of the previous Thursday when their car had a tire blowout while overtaking on the A-52 motorway in Zamora, northern Spain.
The accident came just 11 days after Jota had married childhood sweetheart Cardoso, also 28, who is the mother of his two sons Dinis, four, and Duarte, two, as well as his baby daughter Mafalda, who is just eight months old.
A handful of Liverpool players and members of the club’s hierarchy made the journey to Jota’s hometown of Gondomar in Portugal for his funeral on Saturday, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, and Darwin Nunez among those representing the club alongside head coach Arne Slot.
Other team-mates, including Luis Diaz and Alisson Becker, travelled to the town for a Requiem Mass for Jota and Silva on Wednesday.
Diogo Jota’s wife Rute Cardoso (far left) visited Anfield for the first time since his tragic death
The Liverpool squad made the short trip to Anfield from their training ground to see the tributes
Virgil van Dijk took a moment to witness the tributes for his team-mate and laid two roses
On Friday, the Reds squad was united as they made the short trip to Anfield to witness the incredible tributes that have been left for their team-mate and friend.
The devastating news has left the footballing world in shock, with many players around the globe – even those competing in different sports – paying tribute to the brothers.
Earlier, Liverpool announced the tributes that will be paid to Jota and his brother during their first pre-season friendly against Preston North End on Sunday afternoon.
after a delayed return to pre-season training in the wake of the tragedy, the Reds will now prepare to take to the pitch for the first time.
The friendly, which will be played at Deepdale rather than Anfield, will begin after a rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone, while representatives from Preston will lay a wreath in front of the away stand.
The fans and the players – who will play in black armbands – will then observe a minute’s silence in honour of Jota and Silva, while ‘digital tributes’ will play on screens around the pitch.
The hosts have also created a ‘commemorative edition of the matchday programme’ which is set to feature tributes to both of the men.
Fans will be able to watch the tributes and the match itself on ITV when play kicks off at 2.40pm.
Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson (far right) shared a moment, while their Liverpool team-mates Alisson and Cody Gakpo were pictured in an embrace (left), each holding flowers
Written tributes to both men will be included in a commemorative programme at Preston
A mural has been created near Anfield with scores of fans leaving special messages
Liverpool stars returned to training on Tuesday, with Mohamed Salah, Conor Bradley, Jeremie Frimpong, Joe Gomez, Wataru Endo, and Andy Robertson pictured arriving for the start of pre-season.
Robertson had penned his own emotional tribute to Jota last week on social media, where he labelled the Portuguese star as ‘a good guy. The best. So genuine. Just normal and real’.
In addition to the floral tribute laid by fans in the days following his death and the scores that signed books of remembrance since the unfortunate event, supporters have begun to sign a mural in memory of the striker a short distance from the ground.
Situated on Sybil Road, the mural, marked by the words ‘Forever 20’ on one side and ‘His name is Diogo – in reference to his song – on the other, has been populated by messages from from supporters still coming to terms with the seismic loss.
