Slot remembers 'very special' Diogo Jota

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has paid tribute to "very special" Diogo Jota, after the forward was killed in a car crash.

Jota, who made 182 appearances for Liverpool after joining in September 2020, was killed in the accident in Spain, along with his brother, Andre Silva, who was 25 and also a professional footballer who played for Portuguese second-tier side Penafiel.

The incident took place shortly after midnight local time on Thursday in the Spanish province of Zamora.

Jota was part of Slot's Premier League winning side in 2024-25, helping them to lift their second trophy in five years.

"What to say? What can anyone say at a time like this when the shock and the pain is so incredibly raw? I wish I had the words, but I know I do not," Slot said in a statement released on Liverpool's website.

"All I have are feelings that I know so many people will share about a person and a player we loved dearly and a family we care so much about.

"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.

"This is not solely a response to tragedy. It is also a reaction to the goodness of the people involved and the respect that so many have for the boys as individuals and for the family as a whole.

"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 team-mate, a colleague, a workmate and in all of those roles he was very special.

"I could say so much about what he brought to our team, but the truth is, everyone who watched Diogo play could see it. Hard work, desire, commitment, great quality, goals. The essence of what a Liverpool player should be.

"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 last time we spoke, I congratulated Diogo on winning the Nations League and wished him luck for his forthcoming 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."

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, who played alongside Jota as they won two EFL Cup titles and the FA Cup, also paid tribute to the 28-year-old.

"Man, I can't believe it, I don't wanna believe it. Absolutely devastated and in total disbelief," Van Dijk posted on Instagram.

"What a human being, what a player, but most importantly, what an unbelievable family man. You meant so much to all of us, and you always will!

"For your family to lose two sons, a husband, and a father is just unimaginable. So cruel and unfair. My heart is breaking for all of your beautiful family, for Rute and for your kids. I promise you that in these difficult times and beyond, we will always be there for your family.

"A champion forever, number 20 forever. It's been a privilege to have stood by your side on the pitch and to have been your friend off it.

"We will miss you beyond words and never forget you. Your legacy will live on; we will make sure of it! Rest in perfect peace, Diogo & Andre."