Tributes pour in for Diogo Jota: 'He was what we'd all like to be'
"He came across as probably not the typical way that maybe some people portray a Premier League footballer as he seems very quiet, very humble, real family man. And went about his business, did his business on the pitch very quiet and humble off the pitch, and just seemed like a really great guy off the pitch, but at the moment it's not really about that."
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News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
Salah 'frightened' to return to Liverpool as fans mourn tragic Jota
Mohamed Salah said the death of Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota in a car crash had left him "frightened" to return to the club as devastated fans swarmed to Anfield to pay their respects. The 28-year-old Portugal forward and his younger brother Andre Silva, 25, died in the early hours of Thursday after their car veered off a motorway in Spain and burst into flames. A wake for the siblings was organised at a chapel in the Porto suburb of Gondomar ahead of their funeral on Saturday while fans in Liverpool were also in mourning. Jota's teammates have spoken of their struggle to comprehend his death, with captain Virgil van Dijk writing on Instagram that he was "absolutely devastated and in total disbelief". Egypt international Salah shared his deep grief on social media, admitting he was dreading returning to the club. "I am truly lost for words," last season's Premier League top-scorer posted on Instagram. "Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break. "Teammates come and go but not like this. It's going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won't be there when we go back. "My thoughts are with his wife, his children, and of course his parents who suddenly lost their children. Those close to Diogo and his brother Andre need all the support they can get. They will never be forgotten." Jota had married his partner Rute Cardoso on June 22, posting a video of their wedding on Instagram just hours before the accident. They had three children. Former Liverpool captain and teammate Jordan Henderson was among thousands of mourners to lay a tribute at a temporary shrine that has built up outside Anfield. "'Jots' it was a pleasure to share a pitch with you but more importantly a friendship. All the laughs we had off the pitch," the Ajax and England midfielder wrote on Instagram. - Supporters' grief - Fans have left flowers, scarves and shirts outside Anfield and there are similar scenes at Wolves' Molineux ground, where Jota played prior to his move to Liverpool. Emma Dainty, 38, from Liverpool, told AFP: "One of our great players has just lost his life and his brother as well. "And it's an absolute tragedy and it should not have happened, no way should it have happened. He's not just a footballer to me. He had a wife, children. He had a family. It just shouldn't have happened." Richard Jones, 39, a financial advisor from nearby Chester, said there was a feeling of "disbelief" among fans of the recently crowned Premier League champions. "We wanted to come down and just pay tribute, leave some flowers, and basically just to show our respects for such a tragic loss of life," he said. "You know, someone of 28 like that in the prime of his life, the prime of his career. Really, really tragic." Joy Taylor, 65, a Liverpool shop worker, said Jota was "absolutely awesome". "He was really, really so professional," she added. "And he's such a lovely man. You know, every time you saw him, he was always smiling. He always had a big smile on his face. He was just an all-rounder." A delegation from Liverpool's city rivals Everton, including forwards Beto and Youssef Chermiti visited to pay their respects and lay wreaths. Liverpool have opened a book of condolence and lowered flags to half-mast. Some of the club's players had been due back on Friday at the start of pre-season training, but the first tranche of a phased return was postponed. Liverpool's first pre-season match was due to take place at Preston on July 13. But the club posted a statement on its website saying: "Ticket sales for this game have been suspended following the devastating passing of our men's first team player Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva." jw/nr
The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Salah fearful of Liverpool return after Jota tragedy
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has admitted he is fearful of what awaits when he returns to the club in the wake of Diogo Jota's death. The club, fans and football as a whole are in mourning after the 28-year-old Portugal forward and his brother Andre Silva were killed in a car crash in Spain in the early hours of Thursday. Players were due back this weekend to begin the preliminaries of pre-season. However, the first tranche of the phased return scheduled for Friday has been postponed. "I am truly lost for words. Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break," Salah wrote on social media. "Team mates come and go but not like this. It's going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won't be there when we go back. "My thoughts are with his wife, his children, and of course his parents who suddenly lost their children. "Those close to Diogo and his brother Andre need all the support they can get. They will never be forgotten." Former Liverpool captain and team-mate Jordan Henderson joined the thousands of mourners to have laid a tribute at the temporary shrine which has built up outside Anfield. "Jots it was a pleasure to share a pitch with you but more importantly a friendship. All the laughs we had off the pitch and trying to find ways to wind milly (teammate James Milner) up and get him fined, which we never could," the England midfielder wrote on Instagram. "Taking pictures of me asleep on the bus travelling then sending them to me later. You always wanted to have a laugh and were a pleasure to be around." Mourners gathered at a wake in Portugal, ahead of the brothers' funeral at 10am local time on Saturday. Portuguese prime minister Luis Montenegro, Porto president Andre Villas-Boas, Portuguese football federation president Pedro Proenca and Jota's longtime agent Jorge Mendes joined the brothers' family including Jota's wife Rute Cardoso, who had married the footballer just weeks earlier, at a private wake in the brothers' home town of Gondomar in northern Portugal. "It is a moment of great pain for the family, who are left anchored to this tragic accident," Proenca said as he left the wake. "Diogo was an icon for the talent that Portuguese football represents and for its ability to generate unity around a person." Liverpool, who are supporting Jota's family, have opened a book of condolence, both physical in the Anfield Road Stand and online, lowered flags to half-mast and closed all stores and the museum and suspended all tours until Monday. Fans continue to leave flowers, scarves and shirts outside Anfield and there are similar scenes at Wolves' Molineux Stadium, where Jota spent three years before his move to Liverpool. Jota was also remembered at Wimbledon as two Portuguese players wore a black ribbon on their all-white attire during their matches. The All England Club has a strict dress code for players while on court but permission to wear the ribbon was granted. Nuno Borges, who at No. 37 is Portugal's highest-ranked tennis player, attached a ribbon to his hat for his third-round match against Karen Khachanov on No.3 Court. Francisco Cabral wore a black ribbon on his left sleeve during a doubles match. Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has admitted he is fearful of what awaits when he returns to the club in the wake of Diogo Jota's death. The club, fans and football as a whole are in mourning after the 28-year-old Portugal forward and his brother Andre Silva were killed in a car crash in Spain in the early hours of Thursday. Players were due back this weekend to begin the preliminaries of pre-season. However, the first tranche of the phased return scheduled for Friday has been postponed. "I am truly lost for words. Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break," Salah wrote on social media. "Team mates come and go but not like this. It's going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won't be there when we go back. "My thoughts are with his wife, his children, and of course his parents who suddenly lost their children. "Those close to Diogo and his brother Andre need all the support they can get. They will never be forgotten." Former Liverpool captain and team-mate Jordan Henderson joined the thousands of mourners to have laid a tribute at the temporary shrine which has built up outside Anfield. "Jots it was a pleasure to share a pitch with you but more importantly a friendship. All the laughs we had off the pitch and trying to find ways to wind milly (teammate James Milner) up and get him fined, which we never could," the England midfielder wrote on Instagram. "Taking pictures of me asleep on the bus travelling then sending them to me later. You always wanted to have a laugh and were a pleasure to be around." Mourners gathered at a wake in Portugal, ahead of the brothers' funeral at 10am local time on Saturday. Portuguese prime minister Luis Montenegro, Porto president Andre Villas-Boas, Portuguese football federation president Pedro Proenca and Jota's longtime agent Jorge Mendes joined the brothers' family including Jota's wife Rute Cardoso, who had married the footballer just weeks earlier, at a private wake in the brothers' home town of Gondomar in northern Portugal. "It is a moment of great pain for the family, who are left anchored to this tragic accident," Proenca said as he left the wake. "Diogo was an icon for the talent that Portuguese football represents and for its ability to generate unity around a person." Liverpool, who are supporting Jota's family, have opened a book of condolence, both physical in the Anfield Road Stand and online, lowered flags to half-mast and closed all stores and the museum and suspended all tours until Monday. Fans continue to leave flowers, scarves and shirts outside Anfield and there are similar scenes at Wolves' Molineux Stadium, where Jota spent three years before his move to Liverpool. Jota was also remembered at Wimbledon as two Portuguese players wore a black ribbon on their all-white attire during their matches. The All England Club has a strict dress code for players while on court but permission to wear the ribbon was granted. Nuno Borges, who at No. 37 is Portugal's highest-ranked tennis player, attached a ribbon to his hat for his third-round match against Karen Khachanov on No.3 Court. Francisco Cabral wore a black ribbon on his left sleeve during a doubles match. Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has admitted he is fearful of what awaits when he returns to the club in the wake of Diogo Jota's death. The club, fans and football as a whole are in mourning after the 28-year-old Portugal forward and his brother Andre Silva were killed in a car crash in Spain in the early hours of Thursday. Players were due back this weekend to begin the preliminaries of pre-season. However, the first tranche of the phased return scheduled for Friday has been postponed. "I am truly lost for words. Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break," Salah wrote on social media. "Team mates come and go but not like this. It's going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won't be there when we go back. "My thoughts are with his wife, his children, and of course his parents who suddenly lost their children. "Those close to Diogo and his brother Andre need all the support they can get. They will never be forgotten." Former Liverpool captain and team-mate Jordan Henderson joined the thousands of mourners to have laid a tribute at the temporary shrine which has built up outside Anfield. "Jots it was a pleasure to share a pitch with you but more importantly a friendship. All the laughs we had off the pitch and trying to find ways to wind milly (teammate James Milner) up and get him fined, which we never could," the England midfielder wrote on Instagram. "Taking pictures of me asleep on the bus travelling then sending them to me later. You always wanted to have a laugh and were a pleasure to be around." Mourners gathered at a wake in Portugal, ahead of the brothers' funeral at 10am local time on Saturday. Portuguese prime minister Luis Montenegro, Porto president Andre Villas-Boas, Portuguese football federation president Pedro Proenca and Jota's longtime agent Jorge Mendes joined the brothers' family including Jota's wife Rute Cardoso, who had married the footballer just weeks earlier, at a private wake in the brothers' home town of Gondomar in northern Portugal. "It is a moment of great pain for the family, who are left anchored to this tragic accident," Proenca said as he left the wake. "Diogo was an icon for the talent that Portuguese football represents and for its ability to generate unity around a person." Liverpool, who are supporting Jota's family, have opened a book of condolence, both physical in the Anfield Road Stand and online, lowered flags to half-mast and closed all stores and the museum and suspended all tours until Monday. Fans continue to leave flowers, scarves and shirts outside Anfield and there are similar scenes at Wolves' Molineux Stadium, where Jota spent three years before his move to Liverpool. Jota was also remembered at Wimbledon as two Portuguese players wore a black ribbon on their all-white attire during their matches. The All England Club has a strict dress code for players while on court but permission to wear the ribbon was granted. Nuno Borges, who at No. 37 is Portugal's highest-ranked tennis player, attached a ribbon to his hat for his third-round match against Karen Khachanov on No.3 Court. Francisco Cabral wore a black ribbon on his left sleeve during a doubles match.
News.com.au
6 hours ago
- News.com.au
Tennis star lifts up skirt after tense stand-off with Wimbledon official
It wouldn't be Wimbledon without a wardrobe controversy. Feisty Latvian star Jelena Ostapenko was the latest to draw the ire of the tournament's ultra-strict all white dress code while warming up for her doubles match overnight Friday. While the All England Lawn Tennis Club was happy to make an exception for players wishing to wear a black armband to honour late Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota, one official wasn't so sure about what Ostapenko was hiding under her skirt. And it led to a bizarre stand-off. Wimbledon altered its rules two years ago to allow women's players to wear black shorts after widespread concerns over players suffering from period anxiety. It's unclear whether it was the green colour of Ostapenko's shorts or something else that prompted the conversation this year, but tennis fans still blew up after the moment was shared on social media. 'Imagine telling a woman what colour knickers/shorts she can wear under her skirt,' one wrote. 'Move the hell forward Wimbledon…we all love the white but the underwear is none of your business.' 'That's ridiculous. The green looks cute and is perfect for this tournament!' wrote another. 'Wimbledon needs to modernise on this,' added another. 'Who is this Umpire? Anna Wintour?' added a fourth. 71-second statement after controversial decision There were also comical scenes on court two as Ben Shelton needed just 71 seconds to complete his match against Australia's Rinky Hijikata. Shelton had failed to persuade the umpire to give him just one more minute to put the finishing touches on a straight sets win in the gathering gloom at Wimbledon on Thursday. The second-round match was halted at 9.29pm due to fading light. When he returned in the sunshine on Friday, Shelton strode back onto Court Two with one goal, to finish off Hijikata quickly. Four swishes of the racquet later, including three aces, and the job was done, with 10th seed Shelton wrapping up a 6-2 7-5 6-4 win. The official match time of two hours and 12 minutes failed to tell the whole story. 'He (the supervisor) said it was a five-minute warning until Hawk-Eye (line-calling technology) was going down,' Shelton said. 'That was, like, including the changeover, so there wouldn't be enough time to complete the game. 'I was telling him, 'I only need 60 seconds'. That's kind of what my goal was when I went out there today.' Despite being on the brink of victory overnight Shelton, 22, admitted that switching off had been nearly impossible. 'When you're in the middle of a match, you're thinking about what you did, what you could have done, how you could have been off the court, what you're going to do when you get back out there,' he said. 'For me it's what my game plan is going to be for that one service game to make sure that I hold. You can't really completely switch off.' Shelton will play Marton Fucsovics in the third round after the Hungarian beat veteran Frenchman Gael Monfils in five sets, in another match held over. Alcaraz still searching for top gear Carlos Alcaraz survived another erratic performance on Friday, battling to a 6-1 3-6 6-3 6-4 win over Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff to stay on track for a third straight Wimbledon crown. Alcaraz made 28 unforced errors in an inconsistent display on Centre Court but conjured enough moments of magic to eventually subdue the world number 125 and book his place in the last 16. The world number two had been pushed to the brink in a five-set win over 38-year-old Italian Fabio Fognini in the first round and looked below his best again in a second-round victory over British amateur Oliver Tarvet. After grinding out his latest underwhelming win, the Spaniard has plenty of room for improvement. In contrast to Alcaraz's laboured efforts, world number one Jannik Sinner - his main rival at the All England Club - has dropped just 12 games in his first two matches. Keys, Osaka crash out Australian Open champion Madison Keys joined the mass exodus of top seeds at Wimbledon on Friday. Keys' 6-3, 6-3 defeat by Germany's Laura Siegemund means only world number one Aryna Sabalenka is still alive at the All England Club out of the top six women's seeds. Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Jasmine Paolini and Zheng Qinwen had already fallen by the wayside. US sixth seed Keys had won 13 of her 14 Grand Slam matches this year, but made 31 unforced errors in a lacklustre display on the grass against 37-year-old Siegemund, ranked 104 in the world. Elsewhere, Naomi Osaka admits she contemplates life without tennis but does not plan to quit just yet despite her latest painful defeat. Osaka blew a golden opportunity to reach the Wimbledon fourth round for the first time as she was beaten by Russian world number 50 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The 27-year-old took the first set on Court Two, but she lost her way as Pavlyuchenkova battled back to clinch a 3-6 6-4 6-4 victory. Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam champion but she has not won a major since 2021 and has still never been beyond the third round at the All England Club. 'Right now I'm just really upset. I wanted to better than I did before. I thought I could make a great run here but clearly not,' Osaka said. Since her triumph at the Australian Open four years ago, she is on a dismal run of 12 successive Grand Slam appearances without reaching the fourth round. Osaka gave birth to a daughter in July 2023, returning from a 15-month sabbatical for the start of the 2024 season. Visibly frustrated throughout her post-match press conference after losing on Friday, she was asked if she thought about hanging up her racquet to find happiness elsewhere. 'Yeah. I feel like I'd be kind of crazy to not, but I think right now I have so many things I want to attempt to achieve,' she said. 'I feel like while I still have the opportunity to try to do it, I want to, even though I get very upset when I lose, but I think that's my competitive nature. That's also the younger sister syndrome. 'No person wants to feel this way, like, multiple times throughout the year, but tennis players are crazy.
