Chelsea to make £11.4m donation to family of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva

(Photo by Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images)

Chelsea and their players have agreed to donate a portion of their winnings from the FIFA Club World Cup to the family of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva.

The brothers were killed in a car crash in northern Spain on 3 July, with tributes being paid across the world of football as Anfield became a shrine to the pair in the days which followed the tragedy.

Liverpool subsequently retired the number 20 shirt at all levels of the club in memory of the Portuguese forward who played for the Reds for five years, helping them to Premier League glory last season.

Chelsea to make donation to family of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva

On Thursday morning, The Athletic reported that Chelsea have allocated an £11.4m fund to be paid to the siblings’ family, with the donation to be distributed equally among the players who partook in the Blues’ triumph at the Club World Cup in July.

The decision was made jointly between the Stamford Bridge club and the members of Enzo Maresca’s squad, with the west Londoners earning £84.4m from winning the FIFA tournament in the United States, equating to just over £368,000 per player.

A wonderful gesture from Chelsea and their players

This gesture from Chelsea and their players will no doubt be hugely appreciated by the family of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva, and indeed by every supporter of the clubs that the brothers represented with distinction, including Liverpool.

Blues forward Pedro Neto will have been especially affected by the tragedy, having played alongside the Reds’ number 20 with the Portugal national team, and the scale of tributes which were paid to the pair illustrates how much of an impact they made throughout the world of football.

Rivalries in the sport can often be toxic, but in moments like this, the goodness and generosity in people tends to come to the fore.

The Chelsea players didn’t have to make such a donation to the family of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva, but that they chose to do so reflects wonderfully on them, and their heartfelt deed will be widely appreciated. For that, we wish to thank them wholeheartedly.

Click here to read article