Liverpool to retire Diogo Jota's number 20 shirt
LIVERPOOL (AFP)Liverpool are to retire Diogo Jota's number 20 shirt in honour of the Portugal forward who was killed with his brother Andre Silva in a car crash this month."After consultation with his wife, Rute, and family, the club can announce the squad number will be retired in honour and memory of Diogo across all levels, including LFC Women and Academy," the club announced on Friday."I believe this is the first time in Liverpool Football Club's history that such an honour has been bestowed upon an individual," the club's chief executive Michael Edwards noted."Therefore, we can say this is a unique tribute to a uniquely wonderful person," he added.Liverpool return to action for the first time since the July 3 tragedy at English Championship side Preston in a pre-season friendly on Sunday.A rendition of Liverpool's anthem "You'll Never Walk Alone" will be played prior to the 1400 GMT kick-off and Preston will lay a wreath in front of the away supporters.A minute's silence will then be observed, digital tributes displayed on the stadium big screen and on pitchside advertising boards and players from both teams will wear black armbands.Father of three Jota, who married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso 11 days before the accident, died alongside his brother after a Lamborghini they were travelling in came off the road and burst into flames in northern Spain.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot and a number of first-team players, led by captain Virgil van Dijk, attended Jota's funeral last Saturday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
a day ago
- Gulf Today
Sweden confident after Germany rout; Poland exit Euros with dignity
Sweden put down a statement 4-1 win over Germany at the Women's European Championship on Saturday and secured a potentially easier route to the final. This could be the year Sweden shakes off its 'bridesmaid' reputation. Sweden won the first Women's Euros in 1984 and has finished as runner-up three times since then. In coach Peter Gerhardsson's eight-year tenure, Sweden was twice a World Cup semifinalist, took the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics and reached the Euro 2022 semifinals. 'We've always been doing good in the tournaments before but never gone all the way,' midfielder Johanna Rytting Kaneryd said. 'I have a really good feeling and you can see that in the squad, its just something different this year.' Record eight-time champion Germany was dominated, and Sweden's task was made easier after German forward Carlotta Wamser was sent off - barely half an hour in - for swatting a ball away from the goal-line with her arm. Sweden's defender #02 Jonna Andersson and Germany's midfielder #18 Giovanna Hoffmann fight for the ball. AFP By that point Sweden was up 2-1 after goals from Stina Blackstenius and teenager Smilla Holmberg canceled Jule Brand's early opener for Germany. Fridolina Rolfö calmly slotted the penalty after Wamser's red card and substitute Lina Hurtig wrapped up the scoring to cap a miserable night for Germany, which conceded four goals for the first time in any Euro match, including qualifiers. It also was the first time Sweden beat Germany at the Euros and ensured it topped Group C with maximum points and avoided the possibility of facing World Cup champion and Euro 2025 favorite Spain in the semifinals. Sweden will face the runner-up of Group D in the quarterfinals, with Germany facing the team that tops that group. That will be France, England or the Netherlands. 'We wanted to finish first in the group, so now we have to analyse that with the players, but don't forget we were outnumbered for 60 minutes,' Germany coach Christian Wück said. 'We are down at the moment but we will shake that off and we are very happy to play the quarterfinals, no matter who the opponents are.' Poland's Natalia Padilla-Bidas, (19) and teammates react after the the Women's Euro 2025, group C, soccer match between Poland and Denmark in Lucerne, Switzerland. AP Germany and Sweden had already qualified for the knockout stages but their match was decisive for top spot in the group, with a draw being enough for Sweden thanks to a better goal difference. There were four good chances in the opening five minutes and Germany took the lead in the seventh when Brand ran onto a smart throughball from Wamser and fired in. It was the first goal Sweden conceded in the tournament but it recovered from that setback just five minutes later. A rapid counterattack saw Blackstenius collect the ball near the halfway line and race into the area before slotting calmly past Ann-Katrin Berger. Sweden led in somewhat fortunate circumstances in the 25th. Holmberg sprinted into the area and was tackled by Germany defender Sarai Linder, who inadvertently kicked the ball off the Swedish teen's shin and it ricocheted into the net. It was a first international goal for the 18-year-old Holmberg, who recently graduated from high school. Poland's Ewa Pajor (centre) celebrates with Poland's Ewelina Kamczyk after scoring her side's second goal. AP It got worse for Germany when Wamser was shown a straight red card for blocking a shot by Rolfö with her arm. Wamser was in the team in place of Giulia Gwinn, and the injured Germany captain put her arm around the young defender when she left the pitch in tears. Rolfö dispatched the penalty into the bottom left corner. Sweden's attack was relentless in the first half but, with the result seemingly decided, it slacked off after the break, although Hurtig tapped in another in the 80th. Meanwhile, Poland signed off their maiden Women's Euros in style with a 3-2 victory over Denmark, showing that they had learned the lessons of defeats by Germany and Sweden to grab their historic first goals and first win at the tournament. With their exits already guaranteed, both Poland and Denmark were playing only for pride when the two sides met on Saturday in Lucerne, and it was the Poles who took the spoils with another spirited display. 'It's a great feeling,' team captain and goal-scorer Ewa Pajor said. 'We fought in every match, from the first minute to the last, and were finally rewarded for it. This win is another step forward in our development.' Agencies
The National
a day ago
- The National
Liverpool remember 'champion in everything' Diogo Jota in first match since tragic death
Liverpool manager Arne Slot paid tribute to 'champion' Diogo Jota as the Reds returned to the field for the first time since the Portuguese player's death. Jota died alongside his brother Andre Silva on July 3, barely a week after marrying his long-term partner Rute Cardoso, after their car came off the road and burst into flames in northern Spain. On Sunday, Liverpool played their first match since the tragedy, defeating Preston North End 3-1 in a pre-season friendly. A rendition of Liverpool's anthem You'll Never Walk Alone was played before the start of the match at Deepdale, and Preston captain Ben Whiteman laid a wreath in front of the away supporters. At the start of the 20th minute, the crowd burst into Jota's song, set to the tune of Bad Moon Rising. Darwin Nunez paid tribute to Jota after scoring Liverpool's second to make it 2-0 with Jota's goal celebration, dropping to the floor to mimic playing a video game. Conor Bradley and Cody Gakpo were also on target for Liverpool. Liverpool had delayed the return of players to pre-season training as most of them attended the funeral in Portugal last week. The club announced on Friday that they would permanently retire Jota's number 20 shirt. Jota was part of the Liverpool side that won the Premier League last season and in his final match won the Uefa Nations League with Portugal against Spain in June. 'I think what I take comfort in is that in the last month of his life he was a champion in everything,' Slot said ahead of the match. 'A champion for his family, which is the main and most important thing, because he got married. 'A champion for his country because he won the Nations League with a country that he cared about so much, because he also wore the flag when we had celebrations. 'And of course a champion for us by winning the Premier League.' Slot admitted it had been difficult for the team to get back to work. 'What I've said to the players, it's very difficult to find the right words because we constantly debate what is appropriate,' Slot said. 'What is appropriate in our actions? What is appropriate [for] what we have to say? Can we train again? Can we laugh again? Can we be angry if there's a wrong decision? 'And I've said to them, maybe the best thing for us to do is handle this situation like Jota was,' he added. 'And what I meant with that is that Jota was always himself, it didn't matter if he was talking to me, to his teammates, to the staff, he was always himself. 'So let us try to be ourselves as well. So, if we want to laugh we laugh; if we want to cry we're going to cry.' Several Liverpool players attended the funeral in Portugal, with others at a memorial that took place in midweek. There had been question marks over whether this fixture would go ahead, but Slot said: 'We are a football club and we need to train and we need to play again, if we want it or not.'
Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- Khaleej Times
Liverpool honour 'champion' Jota in return to action at Preston
Diogo Jota was hailed "a champion" on Sunday by Liverpool manager Arne Slot as the Reds returned to the field for the first time since the Portuguese's death by beating Preston 3-1 in a pre-season friendly. Father of three Jota died alongside his brother Andre Silva on July 3, 11 days after marrying his long-term partner Rute Cardoso, after their car came off the road and burst into flames in northern Spain. A rendition of Liverpool's anthem "You'll Never Walk Alone" was played before kick-off at Deepdale and Preston captain Ben Whiteman laid a wreath in front of the away supporters. A minute's silence was then observed and both teams wore black armbands. "I think what I take comfort in is that in the last month of his life he was a champion in everything," Slot said in an interview ahead of the match. "A champion for his family, which is the main and most important thing, because he got married. "A champion for his country because he won the Nations League with a country that he cared about so much, because he also wore the flag when we had celebrations. "And of course a champion for us by winning the Premier League." Mohamed Salah was among the Liverpool starting line-up and captain for the day as Virgil van Dijk was left out of the playing squad but was still in attendance. Three of the players who travelled to Gondomar, just outside Porto, for Jota's funeral last weekend, Conor Bradley, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo scored the goals in Liverpool's first steps back towards normality. Multiple renditions of Jota's song, proclaiming him to be better than Portugal legend Figo, were belted out by the Liverpool support before a ball was even kicked. In the crowd, flags emblazoned with "forever our number 20" paid tribute to the man who died aged just 28. Liverpool announced on Friday that the club will retire Jota's number 20 in his memory. "It's just hit the city hard," said Liverpool fan and security officer Thomas McAllister, 48. "Once a Liverpool player you become part of the family and we take you to our hearts. It's like someone in the family has died." Earlier this week Slot and his wife joined several players in attending the tributes that have appeared to Jota and his brother outside Anfield. "We will always carry him with us in our hearts, in our thoughts, wherever we go," added Slot. Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and defenders Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez made their Liverpool debuts as Slot named two entirely different sides for each half. Liverpool had spent big in the transfer market prior to Jota's passing, breaking the club's record fee for Florian Wirtz as well as recruiting Frimpong and Kerkez in a bid to retain the Premier League title. "It must be devastating for his family, his team-mates but I think it will really unite and galvanise them to try and win the league for him," said another supporter Diggy Anderson, 60.
