Arne Slot has no words to describe the pain after Diogo Jota's death

Irish Examiner

3 days ago

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot insists everyone associated with the club owes it to Diogo Jota to "stand together and be there for one another".
Slot said they were in "absolute shock" after the 28-year-old forward and his brother Andre Silva were killed in a car crash in Spain in the early hours of Thursday.
"What to say? What can anyone say at a time like this when the shock and the pain is so incredibly raw? I wish I had the words but I know I do not," Slot said in a personal statement published on the club's website.
"All I have are feelings that I know so many people will share about a person and a player we loved dearly and a family we care so much about.
"For us as a club, the sense of shock is absolute. Diogo was not just our player. He was a loved one to all of us. He was a team-mate, a colleague, a workmate and in all of those roles he was very special.
"We need everyone at the club to stand together and to be there for one another. We owe this to Diogo, to Andre Silva, to their wider family and to ourselves."
Despite injuries Jota was still able to make 37 appearances for Slot in his first season in charge at Anfield.
The Dutchman, like all who met the forward, was immediately won over by his personality.
"When I first came to the club, one of the first songs I got to know was the one that our fans sing for Diogo," he added.
"I had not worked with him previously but I knew straight away that if the Liverpool supporters, who have seen so many great players over the years, had such a unique chant for Diogo, he must have special qualities.
Arne Slot statement: — Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 3, 2025
"That we have lost those qualities in such terrible circumstances is something we have not yet come to terms with.
"I could say so much about what he brought to our team but the truth is everyone who watched Diogo play could see it. Hard work, desire, commitment, great quality, goals. The essence of what a Liverpool player should be.
"There were also the parts that not everyone got to see. The person who never sought popularity but found it anyway. Not a friend to two people, a friend to everyone.
"Someone who made others feel good about themselves just by being with them. A person who cared deeply for his family."
Although he was on his summer break Slot was in contact with Jota last month after he won the Nations League with Portugal.
"The last time we spoke, I congratulated Diogo on winning the Nations League and wished him luck for his forthcoming wedding," he said.
"In many ways, it was a dream summer for Diogo and his family, which makes it all the more heartbreaking that it should end like this.
"When the time is right, we will celebrate Diogo Jota, we will remember his goals and we will sing his song.
"For the time being, we will remember him as a unique human being and mourn his loss. He will never be forgotten.
"His name is Diogo."
Owner John Henry, chairman Tom Werner, president of ownership group Fenway Sports Group and Liverpool chief executive Billy Hogan said in a joint statement they were "numb with grief".
"This tragic situation and the reality of it is truly shocking, devastating and has left us numb with grief," they said.
"We all know what Diogo could do on the field of play and the vital role he played in our successes since he joined this club in 2020. So many special moments, so many special memories.
"But beyond the player that we all knew was a wonderfully humble human being, he was sincere, intelligent, funny, tough and created connections with people everywhere he went.
"He had a zest for life that was utterly contagious. Diogo was a loving father, son, husband and brother, and we, and everyone who knew him, will miss him deeply as we all try to process the enormity of today."
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