Liverpool has retired the number 20 shirt across its men’s, women’s, and academy teams in honour and memory of forward Diogo Jota, following his death in a car accident.
Manager Arne Slot spoke of the challenge of resuming football activities, advising his players to take inspiration from Jota’s character. “It’s very difficult to find the right words because we constantly debate what is appropriate,” Slot said. “Can we train again? Can we laugh again? Can we be angry if there’s a wrong decision?”
He continued, “I’ve said to them, maybe the best thing for us to do is handle this situation like Jota was. Jota was always himself, it didn’t matter if he was talking to me, to his team-mates, to the staff. So let us try to be ourselves as well.”
Further tributes are planned for the upcoming match against Preston, including a pre-match rendition of the club anthem “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” a minute’s silence, and black armbands to be worn by players from both teams.
During his time at Liverpool, Jota scored 65 goals in 182 appearances, helping the club win the FA Cup and League Cup in 2022 and the Premier League title last season. He also scored 14 goals in 49 appearances for Portugal, with his final match being their victory over Spain in the Nations League final on June 8.
According to Spain’s Guardia Civil, Jota and his brother died after their Lamborghini left the road due to a tyre blowout while overtaking another vehicle. The brothers were travelling to the port of Santander, from where Jota was scheduled to return to Liverpool for pre-season training.
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