Friday's briefing: ‘Shocked' Liverpool players pay tribute to Diogo Jota

The Herald Scotland

4 hours ago

Football pays tribute to Diogo Jota
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot insists everyone associated with the club owes it to Diogo Jota to 'stand together and be there for one another'.
Slot said the Reds were in 'absolute shock' after the death of the 28-year-old Portugal forward and his brother Andre Silva in Spain in the early hours of Thursday.
'What to say? What can anyone say at a time like this when the shock and the pain is so incredibly raw? I wish I had the words, but I know I do not,' Slot wrote in a personal statement published on the club's website.
Arne Slot statement:
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 3, 2025
'All I have are feelings that I know so many people will share about a person and a player we loved dearly and a family we care so much about.
'For us as a club, the sense of shock is absolute. Diogo was not just our player. He was a loved one to all of us. He was a team-mate, a colleague, a workmate and in all of those roles he was very special.
'We need everyone at the club to stand together and to be there for one another. We owe this to Diogo, to Andre Silva, to their wider family and to ourselves.'
Tributes were laid at Anfield in memory of Diogo Jota (Peter Byrne/PA)
According to BBC Sport, Jota was returning for pre-season training next week via ferry after being advised not to fly following minor surgery.
Reds captain Virgil van Dijk said on Instragram he was 'absolutely devastated and in total disbelief.'
The Dutch defender wrote in a post alongside a picture of Jota with the Premier League trophy: 'What a human being, what a player, but most importantly what an unbelievable family man.
'You meant so much to all of us and you always will! For your family to lose two sons, a husband and a father is just unimaginable. So cruel and unfair.
'My heart is breaking for all of your beautiful family, for Rute and for your kids. I promise you that in these difficult times and beyond we will always be there for your family.
'A champion forever, number 20 forever. It's been a privilege to have stood by your side on the pitch, and to have been your friend off it.
'We will miss you beyond words and never forget you. Your legacy will live on, we will make sure of it! Rest in perfect peace Diogo & Andre.'
Mourners are set to gather to honour Jota at a wake in Portugal on Friday morning, a local parish priest has said.
Jose Manuel Macedo, parish priest at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar in Sao Cosme, told the PA news agency in a translated message that a wake for the brothers will take place at 8am at the nearby Capela da Ressurreicao before their funeral at the Igreja Matriz on Saturday at 10am.
Spain impress in Euros opener
World champions Spain thrashed Portugal 5-0 in their Euro 2025 Group B opener in Bern, where there was a minute's silence ahead of kick-off in memory of Jota.
Players wore black armbands, while some fans had made signs in tribute to the Liverpool forward.
Esther Gonzalez fired Spain ahead with barely 90 seconds on the clock before Barcelona teenager Vicky Lopez doubled the lead in the seventh minute.
La Roja scored another couple of quickfire goals just before half-time through Alexia Putellas and Gonzalez's tap-in, with substitute Cristina Martin-Prieto then heading home a fifth in stoppage time.
In Thursday's other Group B match, Italy beat Belgium 1-0 in Sion through a first-half goal from Arianna Caruso.
Jurgen Klopp mourns loss of 'great friend'
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits he is struggling to comprehend Jota's death.
Klopp, for whom his Christian faith has played a big part in his life, wrote on Instagram: 'This is a moment where I struggle! There must be a bigger purpose! But I can't see it!'
The German coach, who signed Jota from Wolves in 2020, added: 'I'm heartbroken to hear about the passing of Diogo and his brother Andre.
'Diogo was not only a fantastic player, but also a great friend, a loving and caring husband and father.'
Não faz sentido. Ainda agora estávamos juntos na Seleção, ainda agora tinhas casado. À tua familia, à tua mulher e aos teus filhos, envio os meus sentimentos e desejo-lhes toda a força do mundo. Sei que estarás sempre com eles. Descansem em Paz, Diogo e André. Vamos todos sentir… pic.twitter.com/H1qSTvPoQs
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) July 3, 2025
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo led the tributes to his international team-mate.
'It doesn't make sense. Just now we were together in the National Team, just now you had got married,' Ronaldo said in a post on X alongside a photo of Jota.
'To your family, your wife, and your children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world.'
What's on tomorrow?
Working towards our QF clash. 😤 pic.twitter.com/xEc7qwYwUb
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 3, 2025
Chelsea will aim to secure a place in the Club World Cup semi-finals when they come up against Palmeiras in Philadelphia on Friday night (0200 Saturday BST).
Saudi side Al-Hilal are out to follow-up their shock win over Manchester City when they take on Fluminense in Orlando.
At Euro 2025, England boss Sarina Wiegman will hold a press conference ahead of the holders' opening match against France in Zurich.
Wales head coach Rhian Wilkinson is also set to speak to the media before the nation's first major tournament appearance, taking on the Netherlands in Lucerne.
Elsewhere in Group C, Germany start their campaign against Poland in St Gallen after Denmark tackle Scandinavian rivals Sweden in Geneva.