Diogo Jota: Liverpool pay tribute to forward and his brother Andre Silva in pre-season friendly against Preston | Football News
Emotional tributes have been paid to Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva before the first Liverpool match since their death.
An interpretation of “ You never walk alone ” resonated around Deepdale in front of the friendly while the Preston captain North End Ben Whiteman filed a crown in honor before the fans of Liverpool.
The players then emerged from the tunnel, led by captains Mohamed Salah and Whiteman, while the supporters held various flags and banners while singing the name of Jota.
Please use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Deepdale sings, you will never walk alone in a tribute to Diogo emotional
A moment of silence in memory of Jota and Silva was then held before the start, with the two sets of players around the central circle.
During the silence of the minutes, digital tributes were displayed on the large screen of the stadium and on the LED boards on the edge of the pitch. The players of the two teams wore black armbands.
The crowd sang again Jota’s name when the match entered the 20th minute of play.
Liverpool confirmed before the friendly that shirt number 20 would be permanently withdrawn at all levels of the club in honor of the attacker.
The match in Deepdale was the first of the Reds since the Liverpool Jota striker and his brother were killed in a car accident in Spain on July 3.
Preston captain Ben Whiteman poses a crown in front of Liverpool fans in honor of Diogo Jota
The pre-match program also included tributes written in Jota and Silva.
“We will always wear it with us in our hearts, in our thoughts, wherever we go,” said Slot on the Liverpool website. “In every moment, we are here, we will wear it with us in our thoughts and in our hearts. Taking up your shirt is the only thing we could, it should have done …
Preston North End and Liverpool players hold a silence in honor of Diogo Jota before kick -off
“I think of what I comfort myself [is that] During the last month of his life, he was a champion in everything. A champion of his family, who is the main thing and the most important because he got married.
“A champion for his country because he won the League of Nations, [with] A country he cared so much, because he also wore the flag when we had celebrations. And of course, a champion for us by winning the Premier League. “”
Liverpool fans have a flag paying tribute to Diogo Jota before the match against Preston North End
Slot said before Sunday’s match: “Nothing seems important if we think about what happened. But we are a football club and we have to train and we have to play again, whether we want it or not.
“It is very difficult to find the right words because we constantly debate what is appropriate. What is appropriate in our actions? What is appropriate [for] What do we have to say? Can we train again? Can we laugh again? Can we be angry if there is a bad decision?
“And I told them, maybe the best thing to do is manage this situation like Jota. And what I meant with it is that Jota was always himself, no matter that he was talking to me, his teammates, to the staff, he was always trying to be ourselves too.”
Liverpool players applaud travel fans
Andy Robertson was obviously emotional when Liverpool players applauded travel fans, who reported the name of Diogo Jota
Liverpool won the 3-1 match thanks to the goals of Conor Bradley, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo.
After the match, the whole team approached travel fans and applauded them as they sang Jota’s name again.
Captain Virgil Van Dijk and winger Luis Diaz were both present although they were not involved in the game himself.
Andy Robertson looked visibly emotional during applause and had to move away from the rest of his teammates.
