Father of Liverpool GK Alisson Drowns in Brazil
Jose Agostinho Becker, the father of Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker died Wednesday after drowning in a lake near his holiday home in southern Brazil, according to Reuters. He was 57 years old.
Becker was swimming at a dam when the accident occurred on Wednesday afternoon. No foul play was suspected, according to local authorities.
Alisson was voted FIFA Best Men's Goalkeeper in 2019, one year after joining Liverpool from Roma, and he helped the club win the 2018-2019 Champions League and 2019-20 Premier League titles. Before his stint at Roma, he played for Brazilian club Internacional. His older brother, Muriel, is a goalkeeper for Brazil's Fluminense, and also played for Internacional.
Internacional offered condolences to the family via Twitter on Wednesday, writing, "It is with great sadness that we received the news of Jose Agostinho Becker's death, the father of our ex-goalkeepers Alisson and Muriel. Clube do Povo wishes strength to family and friends in this moment of so much pain."
Liverpool offered its support Thursday as well.
The tragedy is another heartbreaking story for Liverpool, whose manager, Jurgen Klopp, lost his mother, Elisabeth, to COVID-19 earlier this month but was unable to attend her funeral in Germany due to coronavirus travel restrictions.