Anfield to Honor Jota in Emotional Premier League Opener

Liverpool's Premier League clash with Bournemouth on Friday night will contain a whirlwind of emotions following the tragic death of Diogo Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva, 25 , just over a month ago. Anfield is also set to host Jota's wife , Rute Cardoso, and the couple's three children for the club's first Premier League game of the new season.

Jota and his brother tragically died in a car accident near the city of Zamora in Spain back on July 3, and the football world has been in mourning ever since.

Rute began dating Jota in 2013, and the two had married just 11 day before his sudden passing.

Rute hasn't spoken publicly since the death of her husband and brother-in-law. She has mainly chosen to grieve in private, with a few exceptions.

Mirror Football now takes a closer look at the tributes paid by Cardoso as she prepares to return to Anfield.

While Reds fans will be delighted to see the Premier League champions back in action, the occasion will also be an emotional one for those inside Anfield and watching on TV.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has confirmed in his programme notes that Rute and her three children, Dinis, Duarte and the youngest child, who's name has not been shared publicly, will be in the stands to watch Liverpool's opener.

"I believe that Diogo's wife, his children and his family will be in attendance," Slot wrote. "And it is important that, as a club, we show that they will always have our love and support as they deal with this most tragic of situations. We are there for them always."

A moment of silence will also be held at all Premier League matches this weekend, with players wearing black armbands. Messages and images will also be shown on the big screens in stadiums for the late Liverpool forward.

Rute has visited Anfield since Jota and Andre Silva's death . On July 11, Rute and members of Jota and Andre Silva's family were accompanied by the Liverpool squad as they viewed the thousands of floral tributes that had been laid in memory of the brothers.

Images from the visit were posted on the Liverpool FC official Instagram account. The post was captioned: "Our squad and staff paid their respects to Diogo Jota and Andre Silva at Anfield today, alongside members of the brothers’ family."

Jota and Andre Silva's joint funeral was held on July 5 in Gondomar in Portugal. It was attended by family, friends and team-mates, past and present.

The coffins were carried into Igreja Matriz de Gondomar church. Struggling to process the immense grief, but still wanting to help, Rute was visibly in a deeply emotional state while assisting the pallbearers with the brothers' coffins.

This came after she travelled with Jota's body back to Gondomar, ahead of the Funeral.

Jota and Rute met in Gondomar as teenagers, and she wished to accompany her husband back to the place where their relationship first began.

Rute has yet to speak at length publicly on the death of her husband and brother-in-law. Yet she did share a heartbreaking post on Instagram of her June 22 wedding to Jota.

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The photos included a close-up of the pair holding hands with their wedding rings in full view. Two other images showed the couple having their first dance as husband and wife. Translated from Portuguese to English, Rute wrote: "One month of our 'until death do us part'. Forever, Your bride."

The couple had often used Instagram to display their love and affection for one another. Just days before his death, Jota posted a video of his wedding day, with the caption: “A day we will never forget.” Rute's last Instagram post before her husband's death was also featured around their wedding.

Rute has also taken to the social media platform ahead of her return to Merseyside, posting a photo of Jota and one of their children at Lake Windermere to her story.

She captioned: "My perfect kind of birthday", with two pink hearts.

It's unknown if Friday is Rute's birthday, but it demonstrates how she uses the platform to keep the memory of her husband very much alive.

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