Coach Arne Slot remembers Diogo Jota. "A champion in everything"

Liverpool manager Arne Slot said on Sunday that footballer Diogo Jota, who died on July 3 in a car accident that also claimed the life of his brother, was, in the last month, "a champion in everything".

"What consoles me is that, in the last month of his life, he was a champion in everything. 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 (...). And, of course, a champion for us, by winning the Premier League," the coach said in statements released by the club.

Just hours before the friendly against Preston North End, the English champions' first since the death of the Portuguese international, Slot admits that returning to work hasn't been easy, and shared the advice he gave the players on how to deal with the situation.

I told them that perhaps the best thing to do is to handle the situation the way Jota did. And what I meant by that is that Jota was always himself, whether he was talking to me, his teammates, or the coaching staff. So let's try to be ourselves too. If we want to laugh, we laugh. If we want to cry, we cry. If they want to train, they can train. If they don't want to train, they can't train. But we have to be ourselves. We can't think we need to be different from what our emotions convey," he advised.

The Dutch coach highlighted Diogo Jota's constant dedication and his work for the team, expressing sadness at his loss, but also pride "in the person he was."

"The first feeling we all have is sadness. The second feeling that comes to mind is pride. I think everyone can be very proud of the player and the person he was, especially the person. I spoke with many of his teammates, and they all praised him highly. They say what a kind person he was and that he was always himself," he said, noting that nothing compares to the loss felt by his parents, wife, and children.

Two days after Liverpool announced that it would retire the '20' jersey from all its squads to honor the former Portuguese international, Slot said fans have even more reason to be proud of the players.

"I believe our fans can be very proud of the players we have at this club, but it's not just about winning the championship. It's about what they did last week, given the unity they showed when we were together in Portugal [at the funeral ceremonies of Diogo Jota and André Silva]," he said.

Acknowledging that, on a personal level, representing the club "has even more meaning now," Arne Slot stated: "The fans couldn't have asked for more from our players, in terms of what great human beings they are. It wasn't just Liverpool fans paying tribute. It was the entire city, including Everton fans. The city, the country, the whole world."

Diogo Jota, 28, and his brother André Silva, 25, died in the early hours of July 3rd in a traffic accident on the A52 in Cernadilla, Spain. The Portuguese international had played for Liverpool for five seasons, winning an English League title, an FA Cup, and two League Cups, and also winning the English second division with Wolverhampton Wanderers. His career also included winning the Nations League with the Portuguese national team in 2019 and 2025.