The tributes will continue on Sunday when Liverpool face Preston North End in their first pre-season fixture
Rute Cardoso, the widow of Diogo Jota, visited Anfield on Saturday as Liverpool Football Club held a solemn ceremony outside the stadium, just over a week after the forward’s death. She was accompanied by the older two of her three children as the family paused in front of the mass of flowers, scarves, shirts and handwritten messages left as tribute to Jota by supporters.
The Liverpool squad joined Cardoso in a solemn moment of remembrance. Each player left a single rose in tribute. Head coach Arne Slot, captain Virgil van Dijk, and senior players including Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Luis Diaz were among those in attendance.
Jota and his brother Andre Silva died in a car accident in Spain on 3 July. The news stunned the football world, with tributes pouring in from clubs, fans and former teammates across Europe. The 28-year-old had been on his way back to Liverpool for pre-season training when the accident occurred.
On Friday, Liverpool announced that the No 20 shirt worn by Jota would be permanently retired – a first in the club’s 132-year history. The decision was made after consultation with Jota’s family, and means no player at any level of Liverpool Football Club will wear the number again.
The tributes will continue on Sunday when Liverpool face Preston North End in their first pre-season fixture. The match will feature several commemorative gestures at Deepdale, including a joint wreath-laying ceremony by both clubs and a minute’s silence. Players from both sides will wear black armbands, and Liverpool’s anthem “You’ll Never Walk Alone” will be played before kick-off.
