Manager Arne Slot praises supporters and owners for their reaction in difficult situation
Liverpool’s owner, Fenway Sports Group, will honour the late Diogo Jota’s contract in full and pay the remaining two years of his deal to his family.
Jota died in a car accident alongside his brother, Andre Silva, on 3 July, less than two weeks after marrying his long-term partner, Rute Cardoso. He leaves behind three young children.
Liverpool have already taken other substantial steps to preserve and honour the forward’s memory, including laying down plans for a permanent memorial and a sculpture, retiring the club’s No 20 shirt, and creating a grassroots football programme in his name.
The incident united the football world and fans came together to pay their respects to the memory of a special human being. The forward’s dedicated club song is still sung in matches during the 20th minute.
“The way the fans conducted themselves after that tragedy, how many flowers there were, all the memorials, I can almost get emotional thinking about it,” said head coach Arne Slot, who confirmed the news about the contract.
“It’s unbelievable what our fans have done and our players as well, the way they have conducted themselves in and around the funeral.”
The Dutchman, who has led a squad in grief to seven wins out of seven so far this season, said they had to pick themselves up and continue, no matter how difficult it was.
“We have to train again,” Slot said. “There are moments where I feel: ‘What must his wife and his children feel now?’
“It sounds so hard but our life continues. People expect from me that I prepare them for ever and that sometimes feels a bit difficult knowing how hard it is for the family and for the parents in the phase they are still going through and will go through for the rest of their lives.”
The Liverpool boss reserved a word of praise for the owners, who he believes have managed the entire situation admirably.
Slot said: “Owners are mainly criticised, like managers, but the way they’ve handled this situation by paying his wife and his children all the money from the contract is … Maybe people think it’s normal, but it is not in football.”
