‘I wish I had the words’ – Liverpool manager Slot pays tribute to ‘special’ Jota

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has paid tribute to Diogo Jota, calling the 28-year-old “special”, following the Portuguese forward’s tragic death.

Jota and his brother Andre Silva, 26, were killed in a car accident in the province of Zamora in north-western Spain at around midnight on Wednesday.

Their car came off the road following a tyre blowout and caught fire, with emergency services unable to save them after arriving at the scene.

Jota leaves behind his wife Rute, who he wed last month, and their three young children.

Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota.

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 3, 2025

Slot, who took charge at Anfield in the summer of 2024, managed Jota for a season as Liverpool raced to the Premier League title in emphatic fashion last term.

“I wish I had the words but I know I do not,” Slot said in a statement.

“My first thoughts are not those of a football manager. They are of a father, a son, a brother and an uncle and they belong to the family of Diogo and Andre Silva who have experienced such an unimaginable loss.

“My message to them is very clear – you will never walk alone. The players, the staff, the supporters of Liverpool Football Club are all with you and from what I have seen today, the same can be said of the wider family of football.

“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 teammate, a colleague, a workmate and in all of those roles he was very special.”

Arne Slot statement:

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 3, 2025

The Liverpool boss’ words come after an outpouring of emotional tributes. A “heartbroken” Jurgen Klopp, the former Liverpool head coach who brought Jota to the club from Wolves in 2020, said he “was not only a fantastic player, but also a great friend, a loving and caring husband and father.”

Cristiano Ronaldo, Jota’s Portugal teammate said “we will all miss you” in a social media post, while fans gathered at Anfield to pay their respects.

The flag on Liverpool town hall was lowered to half mast as a mark of respect for Jota and his brother.

Slot hailed Jota’s work ethic, humility and quality as “the essence of what a Liverpool player should be.”

He said: “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.”

The Dutch coach revealed that the last time he spoke to Jota was to congratulate him on Portugal’s Nations League triumph in June and wish him luck for his wedding.

“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 I first came to the club, one of the first songs I got to know was the one that our fans sing for Diogo. 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.

“That we have lost those qualities in such terrible circumstances is something we have not yet come to terms with.

“For this reason, 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.

“My condolences go to Diogo’s wife, Rute, their three beautiful children and to the parents of Diogo and Andre Silva.

“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.”

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