Salah says he dreads Liverpool return after Diogo Jota's fatal crash
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 22 June, 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 adviser 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 13 July.
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.' — AFP
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The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Soccer-Tears and tributes as players honour Jota at Club World Cup
Jul 4, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; The Al Hilal FC and Fluminense FC teammates line up during a moment of silence in remembrance of Liverpool F.C. soccer star Diogo Jota and André Silva during a quarterfinal match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Camping World Stadium. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images ORLANDO, FLA (Reuters) -Al-Hilal's Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo broke down in tears during the minute's silence held for their former Portugal teammate Diogo Jota before their side's Club World Cup quarter-final against Fluminense on Friday. Jota, a Liverpool forward, and his younger brother Andre Silva were killed in a car accident in northwestern Spain on Thursday morning when their Lamborghini veered off the road and caught fire. Tributes have continued to pour in for Jota and Andre with footballing greats including Cristiano Ronaldo and Steven Gerrard, joining the Prime Ministers of Portugal and Britain in mourning the loss. Friday's match between Al-Hilal and Fluminense in Orlando began with players and fans observing a minute's silence in memory of Jota and Andre. Neves, one of Jota's closest friends who played with the 28-year-old during their days at Wolverhampton Wanderers, issued a touching tribute on Instagram about an hour before kick-off. "Wherever you are, I know you're going to read this, we've never been one for this sort of thing and maybe now I'll regret it a little, but you know what you mean to me just as much as I know what I am to you," Neves said. "More than a friendship, we're family, and we're not going to stop being family just because you've decided to sign a contract a little further away from us! "When I go to the national team, you'll still be by my side at the dinner table, on the bus, on the plane... you'll always be there with me, as usual. We'll keep laughing, making plans, sharing our lives with each other. "I'll make sure you're always there and I'll make sure your family never lacks anything while you're there, far away but thinking of us, waiting for us ... "As of today, you'll be on the pitch with me, and we'll follow our path together, on the stage where we met." Chelsea's Portuguese forward Pedro Neto also paid a heartfelt tribute to his friends when he walked out on the field with a shirt bearing their names before their quarter-final against Palmeiras in Philadephia. "We spoke with Pedro yesterday and this morning and this afternoon and it was completely Pedro's decision to play or not to play," Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said after his team's 2-1 win. "He did, he made a fantastic effort to play this game, to play with his teammates, and we really appreciate what he has done. "I just said to the players that this win is especially for him because we know how close he was, and the effort that he has made. So no doubt that we really appreciate what he decided in the end." The funerals of the brothers are expected to take place on Saturday at 10 a.m. local time (0800 GMT) in the Portuguese town of Gondomar. (Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Goa and Fernando Kallas in Philadelphia, editing by Nick Mulvenney)
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Salah 'frightened' to return as Liverpool mourns Jota's tragic death
LIVERPOOL: 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. 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.
Malay Mail
5 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Salah says he dreads Liverpool return after Diogo Jota's fatal crash
LIVERPOOL, July 5 — 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 22 June, 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 adviser 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 13 July. 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.' — AFP
