News, Facts & Trivia Archive 1912

He scored 65 goals in 182 appearances for the Reds, helping them win the FA Cup and League Cup in 2022 and the Premier League title last season.

Jota moved to Wolves from Atletico Madrid in 2017, initially on a season-long loan before making the switch permanent, and he went on to score 44 goals in 131 appearances across his three seasons with the club.

"We are heartbroken," read a Wolves statement. "Diogo was adored by our fans, loved by his team-mates and cherished by everyone who worked with him.

"The memories he created will never be forgotten. Our hearts go out to the family, friends and loved ones of Diogo and his brother."

Jota, who made his international debut in 2019, played his final match for Portugal as they beat Spain in the final of the Nations League on 8 June. He scored 14 goals in 49 appearances.

"The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) and all of Portuguese football are completely devastated," read a FPF statement.

"Much more than an amazing player, Diogo Jota was an extraordinary person, respected by all team-mates and opponents, someone with an infectious joy and a reference in the community itself.

"We have lost two champions. The passing of Diogo and Andre Silva represents irreparable losses for Portuguese football, and we will do everything to honour their legacy daily."

Diogo Jota - Obituary:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cm2lkgmg5p7o

Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu is leaving the club after mutually agreeing to terminate his contract.

The Japan international is recovering from knee surgery having played just six minutes of football last season.

Tomiyasu faces up to another five months out as he continues his rehabilitation from the operation he underwent in February.

The 26-year-old missed the start of last season with a previous knee injury that also required surgery, in 2023.

His existing deal was due to expire at the end of next season but BBC Sport has learned that Arsenal and Tomiyasu have reached a contractual settlement to end his contract.

Tomiyasu, who joined Arsenal from Bologna in 2021, made 79 appearances for the Gunners.

Arsenal have already started looking at defensive reinforcements this summer, with Valencia centre-back Cristhian Mosquera among their targets.

Kieran Tierney has already left Arsenal to join Celtic, while there is also a chance Oleksandr Zinchenko leaves before the summer transfer deadline on Monday, 1 September.

Two female tourists, including a British pensioner, have been killed by a charging elephant while on safari in Zambia, police have told the BBC.

Easton Taylor, 68, from the UK and 67-year-old Alison Taylor from New Zealand were attacked by a female elephant that was with a calf at the South Luangwa National Park, said local police chief Robertson Mweemba.

The two tourists were trampled to death by the nursing elephant after efforts by tour guides to stop it by firing shots failed. Both women died at the scene, he said.

The British Foreign Office said it was supporting the family of a British woman who had died in Zambia and was liaising with local authorities.

Mr Mweemba said the two women were part of a guided safari group who were walking in the park on Thursday when the elephant charged towards them at high speed.

The two tourists had stayed for four days at the Big Lagoon Camp, about 600 km (370 miles) from the capital, Lusaka, where the attack happened.

"They were moving to other camps when the elephant charged from behind. We are really sorry that we have lost our visitors," Mr Mweemba said.

"They both died on the spot," he added.

It is not clear whether the pair were related.

Female elephants are very protective of their calves and Zambian authorities have previously called on tourists to exercise extreme caution while observing wildlife around the country.

"It is very difficult to control the animals and tourists like feeding them," Mr Mweemba said.

Last year, two American tourists were killed in separate attacks by elephants in the southern African country. Both cases involved elderly tourists who were in a safari vehicle when they were attacked.

This weekend comes with a bit of a reality check for those who experienced heatwave conditions for the last two weekends.

With an area of low pressure still close to the UK winds will swing round to come from a more northerly direction. This will make it feel comparatively cool by Sunday, with temperatures peaking in the high teens or low twenties Celsius instead of the low thirties of last weekend.

However, these sorts of temperatures are much closer to the long-term average for this time of year than we have seen recently.

Low pressure also means that showers are possible just about anywhere throughout the weekend, with some seeing more than others. In contrast to the rain totals we will see in western Scotland, some areas of central and southern England, where rain has been lacking over recent months, may only receive 1 to 3mm (under 0.2in).

It will not be a washout of a weekend though. All areas will see some sunshine at times too, especially on Sunday.

Celtic have signed Hayato Inamura on a four-year contract after the Japanese centre-half left Albirex Niigata in his homeland.

The 23-year-old has spent less than a year with the J-League club after joining from Tokyo University.

Inamura has made 36 appearances for the Niigata club, including 17 this season - all but two of them starts.

"He's a young player full of promise and potential," said Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers.

"I know that he's delighted to be taking this next step in his career by joining us, and we look forward to welcoming him into the squad."

Inamura will join compatriots Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate at Celtic Park, while Kyogo Furuhashi, Yuki Kobayashi, and Tomoki Iwata have also been at the Scottish champions in recent years.

All were signed by former boss Ange Postecoglou, who spent three-and-a-half years in charge of Yokohama F. Marinos before his switch to Glasgow in June 2021.

Inamura has chosen to wear the number 25 donned by childhood idol Shunsuke Nakamura, who starred for Celtic between 2005 and 2009.

"Many Japanese players have had success at this club," Inamura told CelticTV. "Across the world, this is a massive club and is really well known. I am truly excited to be joining Celtic. It's a huge opportunity for me.

"So far, the current Japanese players have been performing at a high level. I think that is why there are expectations on Japanese players. I really want to live up to those expectations and do my best.

"Regarding Nakamura, I used to imitate his kicking style when I was a kid. He was one of my favourite players."

Footballers Diogo Jota and André Silva have been honoured by their family, friends and teammates at a joint funeral in Portugal.

Jota, 28, was laid to rest alongside his brother, Silva, 25, after they died in a car crash on Thursday.

Hundreds of locals and supporters gathered at the Igreja Matriz in Gondomar, where the brothers are from, on Saturday.

The funeral also brought together huge names from across football, including Jota's teammates Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson, who were seen carrying floral tributes into the church ahead of the ceremony.

The service was held in Gondomar, a small Portuguese city near Porto, that has been left reeling after the brothers died.

Jota and Silva died at about 00:30 local time in the Spanish province of Zamora.

It is understood they were on the way to take a ferry and return to Liverpool for Jota's pre-season training when the accident happened.

The Portugal forward had undergone minor surgery and doctors had advised him against flying.

The accident came just 11 days after Jota married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso, with whom he had three children.

Players from Liverpool FC, who only three months ago were celebrating their Premier League win, arrived at the funeral together.

Watching them walk in line with each other, almost as they do when walking onto the pitch, was an emotional experience.

There was a strong feeling of community, but also a shared sombreness.

Many were visibly upset, with supporters on the other side of the barrier applauding the players. One woman in the crowd shouted towards them as they walked in: "Força!" - strength.

Family and close friends walked into the church in complete silence, many of them with their heads bowed down as the church bell rung.

One person in the procession held up a sign with Silva's photograph, which read: "Para sempre um de nós." (Forever one of us.)

So much was the brothers' impact on football and their local community that some of the guests had to watch the ceremony from outside of the church, often hugging and comforting one another.

Locals and football fans in the crowd watched silently for most of the service, which went on for about an hour.

Many wore football shirts and carried merchandise from the different teams across Portugal and abroad where Jota and Silva, who played for local club Penafiel, spent some time in.