Diogo Jota's wife's heartbreaking posts as late Liverpool star's family returns to Anfield

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Liverpool's Premier League game against Bournemouth on Friday night will be a poignant affair following the tragic passing of Diogo Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva, 25, just over a month ago.

Anfield is also set to welcome Jota's wife, Rute Cardoso, and their three children for Liverpool's first league fixture of the new season. Jota and his brother sadly lost their lives in a car accident near Zamora in Spain on July 3, leaving the football community in a state of mourning.

Rute and Jota began their relationship in 2013, and they were married just 11 days before his untimely death. Since the loss of her husband and brother-in-law, Rute has largely chosen to grieve privately, with only a few exceptions.

Here, Liverpool.com takes a look at all the tributes made by Cardoso and some of her heartbreaking posts days before his death as she prepares to return to Anfield.

Attending 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 from home.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has confirmed in his programme notes that Rute and her three children, Dinis, Duarte and the youngest child, whose 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.

Anfield floral tribute

Rute has paid a visit to Anfield following Jota and Andre Silva's passing. On July 11, Rute and relatives of Jota and Andre Silva's family were joined by the Liverpool squad as they observed the thousands of floral tributes that had been placed in remembrance of the siblings.

(Image: Getty)

Photographs from the visit were shared 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."

Helping pallbearers at the funeral

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

(Image: Getty Images)

The coffins were carried into Igreja Matriz de Gondomar church. Battling to comprehend the overwhelming grief, but still determined to assist, Rute was clearly in a profoundly emotional state whilst helping the pallbearers with the brothers' coffins.

Following the tragic loss of her husband, Rute travelled with Jota's body back to their hometown of Gondomar, where their love story first began to take shape as teenagers.

Anniversary post

Rute has remained relatively quiet in the public eye since the devastating loss of her husband and brother-in-law. However, she did share a poignant post on Instagram commemorating their wedding on June 22.

The post included intimate photos of the couple on their special day, including a close-up of their entwined hands showcasing their wedding rings, and images of their first dance as a married couple. In a heartfelt message translated from Portuguese, Rute wrote: "One month of our 'until death do us part'. Forever, Your bride."

Her latest social media post

The couple frequently used Instagram as a platform to express their love for each other. Just days before his untimely passing, Jota shared a video from their wedding day, captioning it: "A day we will never forget."

(Image: RuteCardoso/Instagram)

Similarly, Rute's last post before her husband's death was centred around their wedding. Ahead of her return to Merseyside, Rute shared a photo on Instagram of Jota and one of their children at Lake Windermere. She captioned the image: "My perfect kind of birthday", accompanied by two pink hearts.

While it's unclear whether Friday is Rute's birthday, it's evident that she uses the platform to keep her husband's memory alive.

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