'He was a champion': Slot, Klopp hail Jota ahead of Liverpool's new EPL season

As Liverpool prepare for the 2025-26 Premier League campaign, both current manager Arne Slot and former boss Jürgen Klopp have paid heartfelt tributes to late forward Diogo Jota, whose sudden death in July sent shockwaves through the football world.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Jota, 28, died in a car accident in Spain while travelling with his brother. Signed from Wolverhampton Wanderers in September 2020, the Portugal international quickly became a vital presence at Anfield. He scored six goals in 26 appearances during the Reds’ triumphant 2024-25 Premier League campaign and was also part of the side that reached the 2021/22 Champions League final.

On JioHotstar’s Preview of the Season 2025-26, Slot reflected on Jota’s winning legacy.“He was a champion for his family, which is the most important thing. He was a champion for his country, winning the Nations League for a nation he loves and cares deeply about. And he was a champion for us by helping win the Premier League,” Slot said.Klopp, who managed Jota for most of his Liverpool career, highlighted how his presence transformed the team’s style of play.

“Diogo was an incredibly important player for us. Having him in the side changed the dynamics,” Klopp remarked, underlining the tactical flexibility and cutting edge the forward brought to his squads.Before arriving in England, Jota’s career began in his hometown of Porto with Paços de Ferreira. A 2016 move to Atletico Madrid saw him loaned back to Portugal before finding his stride at Wolves under Nuno Espírito Santo. For Portugal, Jota appeared at Euro 2022 and Euro 2024, and was part of the Nations League-winning squad in May this year.