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Brussels - Both the Belgium and VfL Wolfsburg squads gathered in Brussels on Tuesday to attend the funeral of Belgian Under-21 international Junior Malanda, who was killed in a car crash on January 10.
Malanda, 20, was not wearing his seatbelt when he was catapulted from the back seat of the car and died instantly.
Around 1,300 mourners, many of whom wore a Wolfsburg shirt bearing Malanda's name, attended his funeral including Chelsea's Eden Hazard and Belgium coach Marc Wilmots.
Having joined Wolfsburg from Belgium side Zulte Waregem in July 2013, Malanda made 10 appearances for the Wolves in the Bundesliga this season before the tragic accident.
"In our hearts forever," read the message on a wreath from his Wolfsburg team-mates whose stars, including Belgium's Kevin de Bruyne and Croatia's Ivan Perisic, made the trip from Germany.
The fatal car crash occurred while the attacking midfielder was en route to join the Wolfsburg squad before flying to South Africa for a scheduled training camp.
The start of Wolfsburg's training camp in Port Elizabeth was delayed in the wake of Malanda's death.
German police are investigating the 20-year-old driver of the car Malanda was travelling in on suspicion of manslaughter, as the car was travelling at high speeds in wet conditions at the time.
The German Football League (DFL) are planning a minute's silence at all Bundesliga grounds, according to German daily Die Welt, when the league resumes on January 30 when second-placed Wolfsburg host league leaders Bayern Munich.
