Liverpool

The deaths of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre have shaken the sporting world.

You can watch a BBC documentary on the Liverpool striker above and access it on iPlayer here.

Jordan Chamberlain
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

I spent a lot of Thursday watching Diogo Jota's final goal for Liverpool.

The striker received the ball from Luis Diaz on the edge of the area, danced round three defenders with only two touches and then wrong-footed Jordan Pickford with a clever finish.

Liverpool beat Everton 1-0 and the Premier League title was all but sewn up on 2 April this year.

It gave me so much joy. Everything about last season did. From the title to the parade.

And yet, what does any of it matter? Jota, a huge component of everything good Liverpool have done since his arrival in 2020, has died. He has left behind a wife and three young children. It is utterly, utterly heartbreaking and makes the time we spend worrying about football feel trivial.

But the happiness was real. Jota's brilliance as a footballer and a person was real, and in his death it will be celebrated.

It is telling that none of the tributes from the footballing world speak about his sublime talent, but about his character. He was a good man. Someone who loved life and made those around him smile.

I remember screaming his wonderful song as the champions' bus idled past a month or so back, as the players lifted the 20th title trophy. The same number the club are now likely to retire in Jota's honour.

Football is silly, but it matters and it creates feeling and purpose. Jota did that in abundance.

He embodied everything a player should be, really. Hard-working, tenacious, skilful and with an eye for the extraordinary.

It is so incredibly, incredibly sad - and now is the time for mourning. In time, the club and the millions of fans whose lives he made better will loudly and proudly thank him for what he did for us.

His name is Diogo.

Find more from Jordan Chamberlain at Empire of the Kop, external

Listen to a Jota tribute episode of Football Daily

Daniel Austin
BBC Sport journalist

Everton legend Ian Snodin laid a wreath in memory of Diogo Jota on behalf of the club, which offers condolences and says that the "city is united in grief".

Meanwhile, current Everton forwards Beto and Yousseff Chermiti wrote heartfelt personal messages to their compatriot.

Image source, PA Media

Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson was in tears as he laid flowers for Diogo Jota and Andre Silva at Anfield on Friday.

Henderson and Jota were team-mates between September 2020 and June 2023, and won the FA Cup and League Cup together.

On Thursday, Henderson - who left Liverpool in 2023 and now plays for Dutch side Ajax - posted on Instagram: "Jots - it was a pleasure to share a pitch with you but more importantly a friendship. All the laughs we had off the pitch and trying to find ways to wind up Milly [Liverpool midfielder James Milner], which we never could.

"Taking pictures of me asleep on the bus travelling and then sending them to me later.

"You always wanted to have a laugh and were a pleasure to be around.

"Thank you for everything you brought into this world. We will all miss you."

The personal note on the flowers Henderson laid on Friday read: "Rest in peace, my friend, along with your brother Andre. We will all miss you. Love Hendo and family."

Image source, Reuters

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Meanwhile, aerial footage take around Anfield has captured the scale of the tributes to Jota...

Image source, Getty Images

Mohamed Salah has posted a tribute to Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva. On X, he wrote:

I am truly lost for words. Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break.

Team-mates come and go but not like this. It's going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won't be there when we go back.

My thoughts are with his wife, his children, and of course his parents who suddenly lost their children.

Those close to Diogo and his brother Andre need all the support they can get. They will never be forgotten.

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

The Football Association will hold talks with Liverpool before planning a tribute to Diogo Jota at next month's Community Shield at Wembley.

The death of Jota and his brother Andre Silva in a car crash in Spain has sparked an outpouring of emotion from across the football world.

Premier League champions Liverpool face FA Cup holders Crystal Palace in the traditional season curtain-raiser on Sunday, August 10.

The FA is open to marking the occasion, particularly given the Anfield club's participation in the game, to honour Jota's life.

It is understood officials from the governing body will open dialogue with both clubs in advance of the match before finalising any memorial plans.

The FA regularly uses occasions such as England matches and domestic finals to mourn figures in football and beyond who have died, often through black armbands and periods of silence.

But the governing body will take guidance from Liverpool with regards to appropriate tributes before confirming any plans to remember the Jota brothers at the Community Shield.

Image source, Getty Images

The Athletic's Liverpool correspondent James Pearce reflected on the first time he interviewed Diogo Jota as part of his tribute on BBC Radio Merseyside:

"I'll always remember the first interview I did with him a few months after he joined Liverpool from Wolves in 2020.

"He was talking about his journey to get to the top and how his personality had very much been shaped by the knock-backs he'd had - because his journey was very different to a lot of other members of the Liverpool squad.

"He grew up in a suburb of Porto, yet he hadn't been part of an elite academy; he hadn't been taken on by Porto or any of the other elite Portuguese clubs.

"He told me he was still paying to play football at the age of 16 and had all these people questioning whether he had what it took to get to the top.

"You could see that in the way he played because off the pitch he was so humble, dignified and quiet.

"Everyone loved him at Liverpool. He was universally popular among players and staff, but then on the pitch, when he crossed that white line, you could see the hunger inside him.

"That hunger had been built since he was a young player trying to prove people wrong and that he was good enough to get to the top.

"Didn't he do just that. He was a magnificent footballer for Liverpool. He had such a knack of scoring crucial goals. The memories he has left behind will last forever."

Listen to the full tribute on BBC Sounds

Diogo Jota: A Tribute - watch on BBC iPlayer

Dan Roan
Sports editor

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool have cancelled pre-season fitness tests that were due to take place on Friday for some players as a result of news of Diogo Jota's death on Thursday.

A phased return to training will now begin on Monday.

Arne Slot's side have their first pre-season match at Championship side Preston North End on Sunday, 13 July.

They then travel to Hong Kong and Japan for a tour, before hosting a double-header against Athletic Bilbao at Anfield on 4 August, six days before the Community Shield against FA Cup winners Crystal Palace at Wembley.

Their Premier League opener is against Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday, 15 August.

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool left-back Kostas Tsimikas has delivered a heartfelt tribute to Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva. On Instagram he wrote:

"Oh he wears the number 20 and his name is Diogo

"We moved to the club in the same period. We were the new boys in the city. We've shared and celebrated some of our best moments of our careers together.

"Before one of our last ones, you've said to me 'you cross, I score' and that's what happened. We laughed and we talked about lots.

"You were a special player, a special guy, a true legend, Diogo. You'll always be remembered and always be loved.

"My heart and my prayers are with your Rute, your boys, your little girl, your family and everyone who loved and waited for you both to go home. You and your brother Andre will be missed forever.

"We love you, Diogo. YNWA"

Listen to a special Football Daily tribute to Diogo Jota on BBC Sounds

Friday's newspapers are awash with images of Diogo Jota. Jamie Carragher is quoted as stating Jota was "a truly humble superstar" on the back page of the Telegraph, while the Liverpool Echo says the striker is "forever our number 20".

• Listen to a Jota tribute episode of Football Daily

Meanwhile, thousands of tributes have been left by supporters at Anfield while many are lining up to sign a book of condolence.

A vigil for Jota and his younger brother, Andre Silva, is taking place in their home suburb of Gondomar in the Portuguese city of Porto. Their funeral is expected to be held on Saturday.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has paid an emotional tribute to Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva. On Instagram, Kelleher wrote:

Can't believe I'm writing this right now, and I'm finding it hard to put into words.

I'm absolutely devastated by this news.

All my thoughts and condolences are with Rute and their three beautiful kids and Diogo and Andre's family.

It was such a pleasure to get to know you over these years and to share some special memories on the pitch and even more so off it.

You became one of my closest friends in football. We bonded over all things sports, watching any football match we could find - often your brother Andre's game on your iPad.

I was surprised a lad from Portugal loved sports such as darts, snooker and horse racing so much, and some of my best memories were having a laugh watching them with you.

You were such a fun, genuine, normal down to earth and loving family man and you were always very competitive. I'm gonna miss our pre-match programme quiz.

I feel so blessed and grateful to have seen you on your happiest day, the day of your wedding, and to be able to share in that day with you was special. I'll never forget it.

You were deeply loved by everyone at the club, the city and all over the world.

It's gonna hurt for a long time and I'm gonna miss you so much but I feel so lucky to have got know you and have such a good friend

Love you Diogo.

Watch: Diogo Jota - A Tribute on iPlayer

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has posted a tribute to Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva on Instagram. It reads:

Man, I can't believe it, I don't want to believe it. Absolutely devastated and in total disbelief.

What a human being, what a player, but most importantly what an unbelievable family man.

You meant so much to all of us and you always will! For your family to lose two sons, a husband and a father is just unimaginable. So cruel and unfair. My heart is breaking for all of your beautiful family, for Rute and for your kids. I promise you that in these difficult times and beyond we will always be there for your family.

A champion forever, number 20 forever. It's been a privilege to have stood by your side on the pitch, and to have been your friend off it.

We will miss you beyond words and never forget you. Your legacy will live on, we will make sure of it!

Rest in perfect peace Diogo & André.

• Watch Diogo Jota: A Tribute on iPlayer

Further down this page you will find tributes from Arne Slot, Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool's owners, Harvey Elliott, Alexis Mac Allister and more.

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool full-back Andy Robertson has paid an emotional tribute to Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva. On Instagram, Robertson wrote:

The ones I'm thinking about most right now are the family. Their loss is too much to bear. I'm so sorry that they have lost two such precious souls – Diogo and Andre.

For the team and the Club, we'll try to cope with this together… however long that takes.

For me, I want to talk about my mate. My buddy. The bloke I loved and will miss like crazy.

I could talk about him as a player for hours, but none of that feels like it matters right now.

It's the man. The person. He was such a good guy. The best. So genuine. Just normal and real.

Full of love for the people he cared about. Full of fun.

He was the most British foreign player I've ever met. We used to joke he was really Irish… I'd try to claim him as Scottish, obviously. I even called him Diogo MacJota.

We'd watch the darts together, enjoy the horse racing. Going to Cheltenham this season was a highlight - one of the best we had.

The last time I saw him was the happiest day of his life – his wedding day. I want to remember his never-ceasing smile from that magical day. How much he was bursting with love for his wife and family.

I can't believe we're saying goodbye. It's too soon, and it hurts so much.

But thank you for being in my life, mate – and for making it better.

Love you, Diogo.

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has expressed his sadness at the loss of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva...

What to say? What can anyone say at a time like this when the shock and the pain is so incredibly raw? I wish I had the words but I know I do not.

All I have are feelings that I know so many people will share about a person and a player we loved dearly and a family we care so much about.

My first thoughts are not those of a football manager. They are of a father, a son, a brother and an uncle and they belong to the family of Diogo and Andre Silva who have experienced such an unimaginable loss.

My message to them is very clear – you will never walk alone. The players, the staff, the supporters of Liverpool Football Club are all with you and from what I have seen today, the same can be said of the wider family of football.

This is not solely a response to tragedy. It is also a reaction to the goodness of the people involved and the respect that so many have for the boys as individuals and for the family as a whole.

For us as a club, the sense of shock is absolute. Diogo was not just our player. He was a loved one to all of us. He was a teammate, a colleague, a workmate and in all of those roles he was very special.

I could say so much about what he brought to our team but the truth is everyone who watched Diogo play could see it. Hard work, desire, commitment, great quality, goals. The essence of what a Liverpool player should be.

There were also the parts that not everyone got to see. The person who never sought popularity but found it anyway. Not a friend to two people, a friend to everyone. Someone who made others feel good about themselves just by being with them. A person who cared deeply for his family.

The last time we spoke, I congratulated Diogo on winning the Nations League and wished him luck for his forthcoming wedding. In many ways, it was a dream summer for Diogo and his family, which makes it all the more heartbreaking that it should end like this.

When I first came to the club, one of the first songs I got to know was the one that our fans sing for Diogo. I had not worked with him previously but I knew straight away that if the Liverpool supporters, who have seen so many great players over the years, had such a unique chant for Diogo, he must have special qualities.

That we have lost those qualities in such terrible circumstances is something we have not yet come to terms with. For this reason, we need everyone at the club to stand together and to be there for one another. We owe this to Diogo, to Andre Silva, to their wider family and to ourselves.

My condolences go to Diogo's wife, Rute, their three beautiful children and to the parents of Diogo and Andre Silva.

When the time is right, we will celebrate Diogo Jota, we will remember his goals and we will sing his song. For the time being, we will remember him as a unique human being and mourn his loss. He will never be forgotten.

His name is Diogo.

Luke Reddy
BBC Sport Senior Journalist

Five seasons, 182 games, 65 goals and the lifting of all three major domestic trophies.

Yet what Diogo Jota delivered for fans and families went beyond basic numbers.

The Reds' number 20 - tragically taken away with his brother in the early hours of Thursday morning - created memories supporters will long share.

Ask any of those fans or families if they'd give up such memories to have the two lost men back with their loved ones and, in a heartbeat, they'd say yes. Such mourning underlines how fleeting big moments really are when life shakes the ground underneath us.

Arguably Jota's greatest on-pitch downfall was his finest and most-loved quality - his honesty.

Time and again in the red of Liverpool or gold of Wolves he showed a fearlessness in his play, in challenges and in generally making a nuisance of himself. Time and again he came out with bruises, sprains, twists, tears and the battle wounds of a man giving his all for the cause. Time and again his name was sung. Fans, after all, love nothing more than honesty.

The forward - adaptable from the flank or through the centre - scored the opening league goal of a new era - the title-winning Arne Slot campaign. His sun-soaked finish at Ipswich got the ball rolling for a season few fans imagined possible.

When the Reds struggled, he never shirked. December brought more than 70 minutes playing with 10 men against Fulham at Anfield and Jota's 86th-minute equaliser maintained critical momentum.

In January - nine days after a frustrating draw against Manchester United - form looked patchy. Step up Jota from the bench to score within a minute and earn a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest - momentum maintained.

In April - two weeks after a League Cup final defeat - he weaved his way through Everton's defence to banish Wembley pain and win the Merseyside derby.

It would be his last goal. Like those mentioned and so many before, it was crucial - moving his team on from testing spells to a better future. Jota was your spiky, feisty, gutsy striker in the moments that call for spirit to move you forward.

How life took him from a Premier League win, to his wedding day and on to tragedy is impossible to comprehend. What can be considered with far more clarity is his impact on a football club, its fans and a city - a resoundingly positive one.

Liverpool's website has periodically ran a 100 to 1 countdown titled '100 players who shook The Kop'. All the names you would expect make the list - Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush, John Barnes and more.

Any present-day edition will - on merit - contain Jota's name.

Liverpool's "lad from Portugal" - a husband, father, brother and son who built a lasting connection through his unequivocal honesty.

There can be no doubt, Jota shook The Kop.