A call to the media: Give Diogo Jota's loved ones the privacy they deserve

Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva's loss is a devastating one for all of us.

It feels inexplicable to even fathom. Their loss is incomprehensible. The pain that we feel is indescribable and the pain his family, his loved ones, his friends, teammates and colleagues will feel will be even worse.

The world has lost two brothers. A father, a husband, a friend, a son, above all else before we even begin to write about their footballing talent.

This is what should be remembered above all. Jota may have been a high profile football but he was a human being, just like the rest of us.

For the people around him, he wasn't an iconic figure, but a normal guy. A father who cared deeply for his children, a son who cared deeply for his parents, and a husband who loved and cherished his wife and his family.

He was a friend to many, a colleague and a teammate to dozens and dozens of people. All of whom deserve to grieve and mourn him in private.

At a time like this, it's understandable that we don't quite know how to act, what to say. But there is a common level of decency that we must all observe and this has already been crossed by the media.

From publishing images of the tragedy to waiting outside the mortuary to publish and take images of his grieving wife and family. These are unacceptable actions. Actions that break ethics and common human decency.

Two lives have been lost in a tragedy. People must be given space to be able to say goodbye and make their peace, if you can ever make peace with something like this, in private.

As Jota's and his brother's wake is and funeral is taking place, the chapel outside is surrounded by journalists who are all thronging to take pictures of the attendees.

These are reprehensible actions. A funeral should never be sensationalised. It should not be treated as a public press conference.

The people attending must be given their privacy, they must be left alone. No one needs to see pictures of the funeral nor those who attended.

This is an unnecessary intrusion into peoples' private life, at the worst moment in their lives.

Please leave them alone. Please let them grieve. Give them the space they need.

Instead, remember Jota. Honour his legacy by writing about his achievements. What he was like on the pitch and off of it. Give him the tribute he deserves, and give his family the respect that they deserve.