Mo Salah 'Frightened' To Go Back To Liverpool: 'Difficult To Accept Diogo Won't Be There'

Last Updated:July 05, 2025, 10:39 IST

Liverpool FC and Egypt forward Mohamed Salah expressed his grief at the passing away of his club teamm ate Diogo Jota.

Mohamed Salah (left) and Diogo Jota (AFP Photo)

Mohamed Salah expressed that the death of Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota in a car crash had left him “frightened" to return to the club, as devastated fans gathered at Anfield to pay their respects. The 28-year-old Portuguese forward and his younger brother Andre Silva, 25, died in the early hours of Thursday when their car veered off a motorway in Spain and caught fire.

A wake for the siblings was held at a chapel in the Porto suburb of Gondomar before their funeral on Saturday, while fans in Liverpool were also mourning. Jota’s teammates have spoken about their difficulty in coming to terms with his death, with captain Virgil van Dijk writing on Instagram that he was “absolutely devastated and in total disbelief".

Egyptian international Salah shared his profound grief on social media, admitting that 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 about 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 been built 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, with 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 for the start of pre-season training, but the first phase of a staggered return was postponed. Liverpool’s first pre-season match was scheduled to take place at Preston on July 13. However, 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."

With AFP Inputs

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