Real Madrid were forced to issue a public apology on Sunday after an embarrassing mistake during the club’s General Assembly of Participating Members.
What was intended as a solemn gesture of respect instead turned into an unfortunate mix-up.
The club intended to honour Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, who died in a tragic car accident on July 3, a loss that deeply affected Portuguese and European football.
But during the memorial segment, the video tribute mistakenly displayed the photo of Elche midfielder Andre da Silva, instead of Jota’s brother.
👀 Real Madrid paid tribute to the figures who passed away in 2025 but mistakenly used the image of Elche player André Silva, instead of Diogo Jota’s brother, who was also named
André Silva.
They have issued a statement to apologise:
✍️ “Real Madrid CF apologises to Elche CF… pic.twitter.com/M1N32hyVZr
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) November 23, 2025
To make matters worse, Elche happen to be Real Madrid’s opponents in tonight’s match.
The error was quickly noticed, sparked immediate reaction, and prompted Real Madrid to post an apology on X:
Real Madrid C.F. apologises to Elche C.F. and its player André da Silva for having mistakenly included his image in the obituary of an institutional video instead of that of André Silva, the brother of Diogo Jota, the Liverpool player. We regret this incident.
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) November 23, 2025
“Real Madrid CF apologizes to Elche CF and its player André da Silva for the mistaken inclusion of his image in the institutional tribute video, instead of that of André Silva, Diogo Jota’s brother. We express our regret for this event.”
Club president Florentino Perez also addressed the mistake publicly during the Assembly, reiterating the apology and acknowledging the sensitivity of the moment.
Earlier this year, Real Madrid had joined Liverpool in paying respects during their Champions League clash, with Xabi Alonso, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Emilio Butragueño laying flowers at a memorial outside Anfield.
