Maria Pereira, aged 67, has been left devastated by the tragic deaths of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva in a recent car accident. She remembers the brothers as “beautiful” souls and continues to grieve their untimely passing.
Fighting back tears, Maria recalls cherished memories of the two young men. Living next door to their grandfather, she had watched both Jota and Silva grow from lively boys into professional footballers admired around the world.
She was a guest at the Liverpool forward’s wedding when he married Rute Cardoso—a day that should have been filled with joy and celebration. Sadly, the joyful occasion was overshadowed by the heartbreak that followed when the brothers lost their lives in a crash as they returned to the UK.
The impact of their deaths has been felt globally, yet nowhere is the sorrow more deeply felt than in the quiet row of homes on Rua da Minhoteira, the place where Jota and Silva spent much of their early lives.
Maria’s thoughts and emotions were shared through her nephew, Cosme Oliveira, who translated her words for the LIVERPOOL ECHO:
“My aunt was very close to those two. She watched them grow from babies until now. She maintained contact with them all the time, especially with the family. This shocking news was strange, confusing and heartbreaking.
“His grandpa from his mother’s side lives [next door] and we all have contact with him, almost everyday. They were the most humble and beautiful people that we ever have had here in this small town.”
The heartbreaking loss has deeply affected Cosme, who treasures the memories of playing football with Diogo Jota and Andre Silva in their grandfather’s front yard during their younger years. The 30-year-old recalled:
“We played from the garage door to the main gate.
“We played small tournaments. I remember back in 2010. We had the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, we had this idea that we could make our own tournament. He was Portugal. I was Argentina, Andre was Brazil.”
Cosme laughed that there was only ever going to be one winner. He added: “Of course, [Diogo] won. His mood was always you can do better, you can do better. I sucked at football. We were just playing for fun. He was never looking for fame or money. He just wanted to play football. He just wanted to play what he liked most.”
It’s this desire and passion for the game that meant the number 20 was so loved by Liverpool FC fans and Cosme was grateful for the way Jota was embraced on Merseyside. He said: “You guys always received him well, so I think we all have to thank you for the way you welcomed our boy in your land.”
Just like everyone else, Cosme is reeling from the devastating news and is holding onto those joyful memories from their childhood spent playing in the garden. He said: “Almost every summer, they would come to my house or we’d go to theirs to play FIFA or cycle to the town, or kick about in the yard.
“His grandma was sad we destroyed the fences. That was the good memories that stayed. I think that’s what we have to hold.”
The narrow street where Jota and Silva were raised is home to a tight-knit family community. Cosme’s cousin, Tiago Silva, also holds dear the joyful memories of spending time and playing with the brothers during their childhood.
He shared with the ECHO: “We played together, we laughed together. We played football on the streets and on the fields at the bottom of the road when I was a child.
“When he left for Liverpool, for Porto, for Atletico, we continued to see doors open up for him. He was a real guy. Not interested in fame, or nothing. He was a real good guy.”
Their cousin Beatriz Bessa, who also resides in the same row of houses, believes Jota and Silva’s legacy will endure as they will always be an inspiration to their community. The 22 year old expressed: “When we grew up, Diogo became a really good player but he stayed humble. As all of his family. They were really kind.
“I have a little brother and when we saw Portugal wasn’t playing so well, we always used to say at the TV, ‘put Diogo on’. All the kids, my cousins, my brothers, they look at him as a hero.”
Despite their rise to fame, the brothers always stayed connected to their roots on the quiet street off Rua da Minhoteira in São Cosme. Their presence and legacy still echo through the neighbourhood, where their grandfather remains a regular at the Clube de Caça e Pesca de Aguiar, located at the end of the road.
Although known as a hunting club, the venue functions more like a local pub, filled with a strong sense of community. Two of Jota’s shirts—one from his time at Liverpool FC and another from Wolves—hang proudly on the walls.
Pub owners Carlos Sousa and Vanessa Marques warmly point to the iconic red number 20 Liverpool shirt, explaining it was a personal gift from Jota himself. Speaking on Carlos’s behalf, Vanessa said: “They are a good family and he was a good child. He used to play football in here. He was a very special person. A very empathetic person.”
Rather than their footballing prowess and the success they’ve achieved on the pitch, it’s their character that will linger in the memories of the community where Jota and Silva were raised.
Cosme said: “When we seen them, they were always smiling, they were always happy, they were always happy with their simple life. They are the true meaning that you don’t need expensive shoes or expensive equipment to become a footballer. You just have to have love for what you do.”
He added: “They both are the meaning of humble. The passion for football. They never lost their roots here. They never forgot this little town and what we represent. The good memories that we have with them here will always live.”
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