Arne Slot has paid an emotional tribute to Diogo Jota following the ahead’s tragic demise, sharing a strong assertion with supporters through liverpoofc.com.
The Dutchman revealed his remaining message to the 28-year-old got here simply after Portugal’s Nations League triumph – solely weeks earlier than Jota’s wedding ceremony and the devastating automobile crash that took his and his brother Andre’s lives.
“In some ways, it was a dream summer season for Diogo and his household,” our head coach mentioned.
“Which makes it all of the extra heartbreaking that it ought to finish like this.”
Slot’s full assertion captured each the ache and admiration felt throughout the Liverpool household, as he mirrored on the qualities that made Jota “not simply our participant… a cherished one to all of us”.
“My first ideas usually are not these of a soccer supervisor,” he wrote.
“They’re of a father, a son, a brother and an uncle – they usually belong to the household of Diogo and Andre Silva who’ve skilled such an unimaginable loss.”
Slot: ‘We’ll bear in mind his targets… and sing his music’
(Photograph by Barrington Coombs/Getty Pictures)
In a message that resonated with gamers, employees, and followers alike, Slot promised that Jota might be remembered for excess of what he contributed on the pitch.
“There have been additionally the components that not everybody bought to see,” he defined.
“The one who by no means sought recognition however discovered it anyway… somebody who made others be ok with themselves simply by being with them. An individual who cared deeply for his household.”
Slot added: “He was a teammate, a colleague, a workmate – and in all of these roles he was very particular.”
In his tribute, Slot additionally recalled studying Jota’s chant from the followers upon arriving at Anfield in 2024.
“I had not labored with him beforehand however I knew right away that if the Liverpool supporters, who’ve seen so many nice gamers over time, had such a novel chant for Diogo, he should have particular qualities.”
Arne Slot asks for Liverpool followers to be there for one another
(Photograph by Barrington Coombs/Getty Pictures)
Slot urged the Liverpool squad and membership as a complete to unite of their grief and carry the load collectively: “We’d like everybody on the membership to face collectively and to be there for each other.
“We owe this to Diogo, to Andre Silva, to their wider household and to ourselves.”
The message ended on a line that has already struck a chord with many supporters:
“When the time is true, we are going to have a good time Diogo Jota, we are going to bear in mind his targets and we are going to sing his music.
“In the interim, we are going to bear in mind him as a novel human being and mourn his loss.
“His title is Diogo.”
This can be a highly effective message from our head coach who is aware of how widespread the devastation might be from this harrowing information and he’ll now be one of many predominant folks in making an attempt to select everybody up off the ground and attempt to discover some energy from this lowest of lows.
With funeral plans already confirmed, this mourning will happen internationally and over the course of the following few days, weeks and months.
