Liverpool players urged to be 'themselves' by manager Arne Slot
What's the story
Liverpool manager Arne Slot has urged his players to be themselves and express their feelings following the tragic death of their teammate Diogo Jota. The Portuguese forward and his brother Andre Silva died in a car accident on July 3 in Zamora, Spain. Ahead of Liverpool's first pre-season friendly since Jota's death against Preston North End, Slot emphasized the importance of emotional expression during this difficult time. Here's more.
Emotional expression
If we want to cry, we're going to cry: Slot
In his first interview since Jota's death, Slot told Liverpool TV: "If we want to laugh, we laugh; if we want to cry, we're going to cry." "If they want to train they can train, if they don't want to train they can not train. But be yourself, don't think you have to be different than your emotions tell you. We will always carry him with us in our hearts, in our thoughts, wherever we go," said the Dutchman.
Tribute details
Liverpool retire Jota's number 20 shirt
Liverpool have retired Jota's number 20 shirt across all teams in honor of the former Wolves forward. A large Liverpool delegation, including Slot, attended the funeral of the brothers in their hometown Gondomar last Saturday. Floral tributes were also laid at Anfield by Jota's wife Rute Cardoso and members of the brothers' family on Friday.
Balancing act
'We need to train and play again'
Reflecting on the situation, Slot said, "Nothing seems to be important if we think of what has happened. But we are a football club and we need to train and play again." He also stressed the difficulty of finding appropriate words in such a situation. The manager suggested that perhaps the best way to deal with this would be to handle it like Jota did - by being himself at all times.
Honor
Liverpool to honor Diogo Jota at Preston friendly
Liverpool FC will pay tribute to Jota and his brother Silva during their upcoming friendly match against Preston North End. As per BBC, ahead of kick-off, there will be a rendition of the club's anthem "You'll Never Walk Alone," with Preston captain Ben Whiteman laying a wreath for the away fans. Preston North End have also released a special edition of the matchday program, featuring written tributes to Diogo and Andre.
Career
Jota was a key player Liverpool
Jota joined Liverpool in 2020 from Wolves for €44.7 million ($49 million). Since then, he featured in 182 matches for the club, netting 65 goals and providing 22 assists. 123 of his appearances came in the Premier League for Liverpool. He scored 47 goals and made 14 assists. During his time with Liverpool, Jota won a Premier League title (2024-25), an FA Cup title (2021-22), and a League Cup title (2021-22). He was a runner-up in the Champions League in 2021-22.