Jose Antonio Reyes Laid To Rest

By Nigel Philips

Jose Antonio Reyes was put to rest on Monday after perishing in a fatal car crash last Saturday.

The ex-Arsenal star was killed when his Mercedes hit concrete blocks by the side of the motorway near the town of Alcala de Guadaira before overturning and bursting into flames while returning home from a training session at Extremadura.

Among the thousands of mourners who attended the former Arsenal star’s funeral is current Gunners manager Unai Emery.

Initially the coffin was taken to the premises of Sevilla Football club between the hours of 4pm and 9pm on Sunday, and later taken to the town hall for an overnight wake.

Reyes was not the only one who died in the accident. His 23-year-old cousin, Jonathan Reyes, also lost his life in the car crash and was buried on Sunday around 6:30pm.

An official investigation into the cause of the accident is yet to take place, however Diario de Sevilla, a local newspaper reported that Reyes may have been driving at around 120mph - some 50mph over the speed limit - before crashing. But the exact speed has not been determined.

Reyes’ hometown of Utrera immediately declared two days of official mourning with the town’s mayor, Jose Maria Villalobos, saying he felt "overwhelmed by this sad news and the fact that a young person with a family has had his life taken away from him."

Reyes, who holds the record for the player with most Europa League titles after winning Europe’s second club competition twice Atletico Madrid and three times with Sevilla, also played for Real Madrid, Espanyol and Cordoba.