Liverpool manager Arne Slot has spoken emotionally about the club’s continued struggle to cope with the loss of Diogo Jota, admitting the team misses the late Portuguese winger “as a player and as a person.”
Jota tragically died in a car accident last summer at just 28, a loss that shook the football world and left a lasting emotional void at Liverpool.
His former teammate Andy Robertson recently revealed he had been “in bits” ahead of Scotland’s dramatic win over Denmark, a reminder of how fresh the grief remains among those who knew him best.
Speaking to BBC Sport on Friday, Slot said he watched Robertson’s interview as it aired and felt the weight of the moment.
“I saw the interview live and I know that it is an issue for us, which is completely normal,” Slot explained.
“At this moment in time, I always think about how it must feel for his wife and his children. It is so, so, so much harder for them than it is for us. But that we will miss the player and the person is completely clear.”
Liverpool have been struggling in the Premier League, losing four of their last five games, including a heavy 3-0 defeat to Manchester City before the international break. The slump has left the Reds eighth in the table, eight points behind leaders Arsenal.
As they prepare to face Nottingham Forest at Anfield on Saturday, Slot reflected on Jota’s importance—both in football terms and in the emotional fabric of the squad.
He pointed to last season’s fixture at the City Ground, where Jota came off the bench to score an equaliser just 22 seconds after entering the pitch.
“Now we play Nottingham Forest… last season there we were 1-0 down and it only took him one minute to score. So now I am talking about the player that we miss for sure,” Slot said.
“That we also miss him as a person is also clear.”
There was some positive news for Liverpool, however. Slot confirmed that goalkeeper Alisson Becker is available again after a six-week absence with a hamstring injury. But Conor Bradley and Florian Wirtz will miss the Forest match due to unspecified injuries.
As Liverpool push to rediscover form and stability, the shadow of Jota’s loss continues to shape their journey—on the pitch and far beyond it.