Diogo Jota's wife and children to attend Liverpool's Premier League opener with touching tributes planned

Scottish Sun

21 hours ago

A host of tributes will be held in his memory across the league this weekend
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DIOGO JOTA's family are set to attend Liverpool's season opener against Bournemouth this evening.
His wife, Rute Cardoso, and their three children are expected to visit Anfield for the fixture, according to a heartfelt address from manager Arne Slot in Liverpool's matchday programme.
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Diogo Jota's wife, Rute Cardoso, and their children will be in attendance for Liverpool's opener at Anfield
Credit: Instagram
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Arne Slot confirmed the attendance of Jota's family in a sincere message to fans in today's match programme
Credit: Alamy
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Tributes continue to pour in for Jota and his brother Andre Silva following their tragic deaths in June
Credit: Alamy
Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva, 25, tragically passed away in June following a car accident in Northern Spain, shortly after he tied the knot with childhood sweetheart Cardoso.
Slot's comments read: "As I have said previously, the tributes that have been paid throughout the football world, and especially within the LFC community, have been truly special, and I know that tonight we will come together to honour them once more.
"I believe that Diogo's wife, his children and his family will be in attendance and it is important that, as a club, we show that they will always have our love and support as they deal with this most tragic of situations.
"We are there for them always."
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Jota will be featured on the cover of today's understated matchday programme at Anfield.
Liverpool have held him at the forefront of their memory since his passing as they built up to the start of the season.
They have held multiple tributes on their pre-season tour of Asia, on their return to Anfield, and last weekend at Wembley's Community Shield face-off with Crystal Palace.
They have also retired the number 20 shirt in his memory.
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Liverpool fans unveiled banners in memory of Jota at last weekend's Community Shield final
Credit: Getty
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Liverpool icon Ian Rush, Crystal Palace chair Steve Parish and FA chair Debbie Hewitt laid wreaths ahead of the game
Credit: AFP
While the club and the city of Liverpool are still feeling the effects of his loss, it is obviously those closest to him who have been most strongly affected.
In a particularly touching tribute, Liverpool team-mate Alexis Mac Allister gave a heartfelt account of their relationship in his recent article for the Players' Tribune.
A Month Without Diogo Jota: Rute Cardoso's Heartfelt Tribute
He said: "Obviously, and with great emotion, I want to dedicate this paragraph to Diogo. I still can't understand how he left us so early. I always had a good relationship with him, but this past year even more so.
"He was always a very down-to-earth, family-oriented person, and never tried to pretend to be something he wasn't.
"One day he would come and give you the hug of a lifetime, and the next day he wouldn't even say hello, hahaha.
"We loved to 'take the p**s,' and we always found a way, whether it was our Messi vs Cristiano arguments, or just playing cards. It was part of the game. I will always choose to remember him with a smile.
"And I know that with that smile, he'll be supporting us from above. If you don't believe that, then just look at the minute [Jeremie] Frimpong scored in the Community Shield. The 20th. These are signs.
"I'd like to take this opportunity to send my warmest regards to his family, whom we must never forget, as they are the ones who are suffering the most from the tragic passing of him and his brother Andre. My respect and love to all of them."
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Alex Mac Allister wrote a personal tribute to his teammate in a revealing piece for the Players' Tribune
Credit: Getty
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Jeremie Frimpong scored Liverpool's second in the 20th minute in the Community Shield final
Credit: Getty
Tributes for the beloved figure still pour in from all corners of the football world, and will be felt across the league on opening weekend.
A moment of silence will be held ahead of every Premier League match this weekend, and captains will also don black armbands in Jota's memory.
Chelsea have been revealed to be donating part of their £11.4million team bonus for winning the Club World Cup to Cardoso and Jota's family.
His previous club, Wolves, will also hold a tribute to the forward at Molineux ahead of their season opener with Manchester City on Saturday.
The club have released a commemorative 100-page programme for the match, dedicated to Jota and his brother.
The programme will celebrate his journey with the club and give fans some never-before-seen behind-the-scenes media with the icon, as well as including tributes from the players and staff who were closest to him.
The universal tributes show that wherever Jota's career has taken him, he left a beloved figure.