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Real Madrid have issued an apology to Elche and Andre da Silva after mistakenly showing a photo of the Spanish side’s forward instead of Diogo Jota’s brother at a club assembly on Sunday.
The photo was used during an obituary video in memory of Liverpool’s Jota and his brother Andre Silva, but a photo of the La Liga forward with a similar name, Da Silva, was used instead. The brothers died in a road traffic accident in Spain in July at the respective ages of 28 and 26.
Madrid later apologised via a statement on their social media, expressing “regret” for the accident. Club president Florentino Perez also apologised in person at the event.
“There was a mistake in the remembrance of Diogo Jota, and the image of Andre da Silva was shown instead of (Jota’s) brother Andre Silva,” he said on Sunday. “A human error, for which I want to apologise sincerely.”
During the video in which the accident was made, others who have died over the last 12 months were also shown. These included Leo Beenhakker, Jose Manuel Ochotorena, Mario Vargas Llosa, Giorgio Armani, Pope Francisco and former Barcelona club doctor Carles Minarro.
The club statement read: “Real Madrid C. F. apologizes to Elche C. F. and its player Andre da Silva for having mistakenly included, in the obituary of an institutional video, his image instead of that of André Silva, brother of Diogo Jota, Liverpool player.
“We regret what happened.”
Madrid paid tribute to Jota and Silva when the La Liga side faced Liverpool in November, laying floral memorials and messages ahead of their Champions League fixture.
Nov 23, 2025
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