'A Champion In Everything': Arne Slot's Heartfelt Tribute To Deceased Diogo Jota

Last Updated:July 13, 2025, 18:31 IST

Liverpool manager Arne Slot honored Diogo Jota, who died in a car accident. Jota's number 20 shirt will be retired, with tributes planned for the pre-season match against Preston.

Diogo Jota and Arne Slot at Liverpool (X)

Liverpool manager Arne Slot paid an emotional tribute to Diogo Jota, calling the late Portugal forward a “champion in everything he did" during an interview released on Sunday.

Jota, a father of three, tragically died alongside his brother on July 3 after their Lamborghini veered off the road and burst into flames in northern Spain. The 27-year-old had married his long-time partner, Rute Cardoso, just 11 days before the accident.

Slot reflected on Jota’s final weeks, describing them as a time when the player embodied greatness in every part of his life.

“I think what I take comfort in is that in the last month of his life he was a champion in everything," Slot told Liverpool’s official website ahead of Sunday’s friendly against Preston North End.

“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 with a country that he cared about so much, because he also wore the flag when we had celebrations.

“And of course a champion for us by winning the Premier League."

Tributes at Anfield and Shirt Retirement

Earlier in the week, Slot joined players in visiting the memorials created outside Anfield in honor of Jota and his brother. Liverpool FC also announced that Jota’s number 20 shirt will be permanently retired at all levels of the club.

“We will always carry him with us in our hearts, in our thoughts, wherever we go," said Slot.

Slot acknowledged the difficulty of finding the right words to express the loss.

“Nothing seems to be important if we think of what has happened. It’s very difficult to find the right words because we constantly debate what is appropriate," he said.

“I’ve said to them (the players), maybe the best thing for us to do is handle this situation like Jota was.

“And what I meant with that is that Jota was always himself.

“It didn’t matter if he was talking to me, to his teammates, to the staff—he was always himself. So let us try to be ourselves as well."

Tributes Planned at Pre-Season Friendly

Several tributes are planned for Sunday’s pre-season opener against Preston North End—Liverpool’s first match since the accident.

Siddarth Sriram

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...Read More

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...

Read More

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