Liverpool paid a moving tribute to Diogo Jota and his brother, André Silva, during their first match since the tragic death of the pair in a car crash earlier this month.
The Portuguese forward and his brother, who was also a professional footballer, died on 3 July in the Spanish province of Zamora after their Lamborghini veered off the road due to a tyre blowout while overtaking another vehicle.
They had been en route to the port of Santander, where Jota was set to return to Liverpool for pre-season training.
Ahead of the Reds’ opening pre-season friendly against Preston North End, fans and players joined in a deeply emotional moment of remembrance.
Renditions of Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling in Love and Liverpool’s iconic anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone echoed around the stadium, setting a somber but heartfelt tone.
A visibly emotional Ben Whiteman, captain of Preston, laid a wreath in front of the travelling Liverpool fans, whose section was adorned with flags and scarves honouring Jota’s legacy.
Supporters then broke into a passionate version of Jota’s song as the players took to the field, followed by a perfectly observed minute’s silence.
At the 20th minute — a nod to Jota’s shirt number — the stadium erupted once again in a tribute chant for the former Wolves and Porto striker.
On the pitch, Liverpool’s players delivered a performance laced with emotion.
Conor Bradley, who opened the scoring, looked to the sky in tribute as he made his way back to his position.
Darwin Núñez added a second, paying homage with two of Jota’s signature goal celebrations in front of the away fans.
Head coach Arne Slot, speaking to Liverpool TV, offered a touching message:”If we want to laugh, we laugh; if we want to cry, we’re going to cry.
If they want to train, they can train. If they don’t want to, they don’t have to. But be yourself — don’t think you have to be different than what your emotions tell you.
We will always carry him with us in our hearts, in our thoughts, wherever we go.”
Jota made 182 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 65 goals and playing a key role in the club’s FA Cup and Carabao Cup triumphs in 2022, as well as their Premier League title win last season.
For Portugal, he netted 14 goals in 49 caps, with his final appearance coming in the UEFA Nations League final victory over Spain on 8 June.
His legacy, both on and off the pitch, continues to resonate through the footballing world.