Striker dies in the event of a car accident
Liverpool coach speaks to Jota over the last moment
Updated on 04.07.2025 – 05:52 a.m.Reading time: 2 min.
FC Liverpool mourns the loss of Diogo Jota. The entire club is in shock. Trainer Arne Slot dedicates an emotional farewell letter to the late player.
After the tragic accident death by Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, Liverpool’s coach Arne Slot said goodbye in an emotional letter. “What can you say in a moment like this when the shock and pain are so incredibly present?”, The Dutch wrote: “I wish I had the words, but I know that I don’t have it.”
In over 500 words on the club side, Slot reviewed the time together with Jota. “There were also pages that not everyone got to see. The person who never strived for popularity but still found them. Not only a friend for two, but for everyone,” the 46-year-old described the striker.
Slot also spoke about his last encounter with the late striker. “When we talked for the last time, I congratulated Diogo on winning the Nations League and wished him all the best for his upcoming wedding. It was a dream summer for Diogo and his family in many ways, and it is all the more heartbreaking that he ended,” said Slot.
Jota leaves his wife Rod Cardoso, whom he had only married a week and a half ago, and three children. He died on Thursday morning in a traffic accident at the age of 28. In the accident, his brother André Silva (25) died.
Jota was always popular with the Liverpool supporters and even had his own catch. “It was immediately clear to me: If the Liverpool fans, who have experienced so many great players over the years, had such a unique singing for Diogo, he had to have special qualities,” wrote Slot, who had taken over from Jürgen Klopp last year. The fans of the Reds sang about the “boy from Portugal”, who would lead them to success and “better than Figo”: “his name is diogo”.
Slot wanted to sing this song again when the time came: “He will never be forgotten. His name is diogo.”
Jota, and his brother André Silva are buried on Saturday. The funeral service was scheduled for 10:00 a.m. local time (11:00 a.m. CEST) in the parish church of its home town of Gondomar near Porto, reported the State Portuguese news agency Lusa and the state TV broadcaster RTP and other media in the country.
Already on Friday afternoon the dead guard for the brothers could also begin. Diogo was 28 years old, his brother, who was also a footballer and was under contract with the Penafiel Portuguese second division club, was 25.