“Of course, if we had the possibility to change everything, we would change everything for sure. But this is a hard day for us.”
Portugal boss Francisco Neto joined in the tributes to Diogo Jota as thousands of fans also paid their respects during the team’s Euro 2025 opener against Spain.
Liverpool forward Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, both died early on Thursday morning when the Lamborghini car they were travelling in crashed in the Spanish province of Zamora.
On an emotional evening, a heartfelt rendition of Portugal’s national anthem was followed by an impeccably observed minute’s silence before kick-off, during which a black-and-white image of Jota was displayed on the big stadium screens in Bern.
“It was a really tough day to play football, because this life is much more than a game, much more than football,” said Portugal forward Jessica Silva.
“Of course everyone is sad. It’s heavy, my heart is heavy – much more important things than playing a game.”
Portugal fans held up placards with messages paying tribute to the player who is also being mourned in Liverpool, while both sets of players wore black armbands.
Despite having relentless support from their fans throughout the 90 minutes, Portugal fell to a 5-0 defeat in Bern as world champions and tournament favourites Spain began their pursuit for a first European crown.
Speaking in his post-match news conference, coach Neto, who appeared to hold back tears during the minute’s silence, described Jota as a devoted supporter of the women’s side.
“Diogo followed our team because he loved the county,” said Neto, who explained he first met Jota while coaching at under-19 level.
“Diogo always, when I talked to him, always knew the result. He followed the team, some players and this is the culture we have in Portugal.
“Today is a really, really sad day because two of us lost our lives. So young. It is not a good day.”