Chelsea star Pedro Neto candidly opens up on why he wants to win Club World Cup for best friend Diogo Jota
The winger was left stunned when news broke of his Portugal pal's tragic death in a car accident.
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Pedro Neto wants to win the Club World Cup to honour his late pal Diogo Jota
Credit: Getty
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Neto feels Jota will 'protect' him when Chelsea face PSG in Sunday's final
Credit: Getty
Tributes were paid to Jota and Silva from around the world.
And a tearful funeral was held in their native Portugal, with Jota's club
Neto was unable to attend the service due to being in America with
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The ace has played a key role in his side's run to Sunday's Club World Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain.
But although the odds are stacked against Chelsea, Neto is confident that Jota's memory can inspire him to victory.
The pair forged a strong friendship while playing together at former club Wolves.
And Neto believes Jota will be 'protecting' him tomorrow, which in turn will inspire him to become a world champion with the Blues.
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He told
'He will always be with me. He will always be remembered. My thoughts are still with him, his brother Andre Silva, and their families. It's such a difficult moment.
Chelsea set for mouthwatering Club World Cup final against red-hot European champions
'Diogo immediately stood out to me when I came to England. I was very young and arriving in a new country, and he was one of the key players at Wolves. But he helped me and my family a lot, and I learned so much from him about life and football.
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'Diogo was part of our group of Portuguese plates – there were quite a lot of us! Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, Ruben Vinagre, Rui Patricio, myself and Diogo. We were so close and spent a lot of time together off the pitch.
'We are still in contact now and these guys, and the memories I have, will stay with me for the rest of my life. It's why it's so tough to now be without Diogo.
'He was a warrior, a guy who would always be ready to fight for you. Yet he had this big smile and his laugh… it is one of the things that I will always remember.
'When I heard the news, I spoke with the coach and everyone was very supportive. We had the game against Palmeiras and it didn't make sense for me not to play. With the personality Diogo had – something else that will always stay with me – I think he would've wanted us to play.
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'I have this feeling that Diogo is still protecting everyone who was close to him. It's why I want to be a warrior for him. Sunday is no different.
'It will be my second final with Chelsea, and we can be crowned world champions. That is the focus. I want to win. I want to win it for Diogo.'
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