Liverpool players lay tributes for Jota at Anfieldpublished at 20:01 11 July
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
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Liverpool players lay tributes for Jota at Anfieldpublished at 20:01 11 July
Image source, Getty ImagesImage source, Getty ImagesImage source, Getty ImagesFans add touch to Jota tributepublished at 11:56 11 July
Image source, Courtney NearyLiverpool fans have added their own touch to a mural dedicated to Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva.
In the aftermath of the tragic accident that killed Liverpool forward Jota and Silva, fans have taken to leaving flowers, keepsakes and images on a shrine flanking Anfield.
This week however, street artist organisation MurWalls - in conjunction with a group of fans - have created a 'Forever 20' mural on Sybil Road, located a couple of streets away from Anfield.
The piece allows fans to add signatures and messages of their own and they stand out through the use of bright marker pens against the dark paint featured in the mural.
One of the fans involved in formulating a plan for the mural was Courtney Neary and she told BBC Sport: "Last Thursday when the news broke, in the evening I spoke to Marc who owns MurWalls about a mural for Diogo.
"From Saturday onwards it was then a case of finding a wall and letting Marc figure out what the wall should be. On Tuesday we then started work, Adam for MurWalls worked on the Forever 20 being wrote while me, Dan Clubbe from Redmen TV and Lee Rogan worked on painting the black.
"Once completed we then shared posts online allowing people to know they could come and leave messages. We stood around for a few hours with the pens and then the house owner kindly took over and has since been out each day and now a pot of pens had appeared.
"Within 48 hours the wall grew to the point of being completely full. It's been lovely to see all the message left and to see how much love is being shown for Diogo, André and their family."
A second mural for Jota and Silva is planned to begin on Monday, 14 July and will be put together by Liverpool artist Paul Curtis.
Image source, Courtney NearyJota mural designs revealedpublished at 10:59 11 July
Liverpool artist Paul Curtis has revealed two designs, external fans can vote on as he prepares to begin work on a memorial for brothers Diogo Jota and Andre Silva next week.
Curtis has used Crowdfunder to raise funds in order to create the mural but a significant excess will be going to good causes as he expects the club to set up a foundation in the names of the two brothers tragically killed in a car crash on 3 July.
The results of a vote on the two designs were incredibly close, with the '20 Design' - seen below on the left - gathering 50.2% of votes compared to 49.8% for the 'Portugal Design'.
Image source, Paul CurtisGossip: Bayern make move for Diazpublished at 07:51 11 July
Bayern Munich have submitted a 52m euros (£44.7m) bid for 28-year-old Liverpool and Colombia winger Luis Diaz. (Bild), external
Liverpool are ready to open talks over a move for Eintracht Frankfurt's French striker Hugo Ekitike, 23, even though the club need to sanction the transfer of Uruguay forward Darwin Nunez, 26, in order to facilitate a deal. (Givemesport), external
The Reds have been impressed by Ekitike but the price tag and 25-year-old Sweden striker Alexander Isak's situation at Newcastle could also be factors in any deal. (Tbrfootball), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column
Gossip: Reds could join Rodrygo racepublished at 07:19 10 July
Liverpool could join Arsenal in the race to sign Real Madrid and Brazil winger Rodrygo, 24, if they end up selling Colombia winger Luis Diaz, 28, to Barcelona. (Sacha Tavolieri via Goal, external)
Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column
Work on Jota mural near Anfield set to beginpublished at 12:55 9 July
Image source, Getty ImagesLiverpool artist Paul Curtis is set to paint a Diogo Jota mural and contribute thousands of pounds to charity after a fan appeal.
Curtis, who has painted over 250 public pieces in the region - including the likes of Bill Shankly and the late Hillsborough campaigner Anne Williams - hoped to raise £2,000 to cover the costs of the upcoming piece.
The sum was gathered in 35 minutes online and as the crowdfunder appeal now stands at over £21,000, the excess funds will go to good causes.
"The crowdfunder will be open for the next four weeks," said Curtis, who hopes to start his painting on Monday, 14 July and complete the work inside a week.
"Now, everything you donate will go to the foundation that will be set up in the future. The club are working to sort this out.
"A massive thanks to everyone who has donated. I have been getting donations from Japan, America. It's a measure of the guy - he touched people beyond football.
"I think there is a plan to set up a foundation in the two brothers' names. That has given me an obvious place for where the money can go."
Curtis told BBC Radio Merseyside he has already been offered and accepted a wall to paint on in the shadows of Anfield.
He will put two or three proposed designs on social media and wants fans to select the final mural, which is expected to feature both Jota and his brother Andre Silva after the pair were tragically killed in a car accident on 3 July.
Curtis has won awards for his work in the past and was praised for his mural of the late Williams, who was one of the most prominent campaigners in the decades that followed the Hillsborough disaster of 1989.
"It's very nerve-racking as you are representing somebody's memory, especially to her family," said Curtis.
"There's a lot of pressure and if I am being honest, I am getting those sort of feelings now. I have got to get this right. There's a lot of focus on it. You really want to represent him in a way that's suitable. It does make you nervous.
"We need to celebrate him as well. He probably wants us to remember him as the player, as the person who made us want to go to the football. I want it to not forever be mournful, to be a celebration as well."
Listen to Curtis on BBC Radio Merseyside
Image source, Getty ImagesSlot, Robertson and Edwards lay flowers for Jotapublished at 09:16 9 July
Arne Slot, Andy Robertson and Michael Edwards all attended the floral memorial outside Anfield on Tuesday to pay personal respects to Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva.
Head coach Slot, his wife Miryam, friend and team-mate Robertson, and Fenway Sports Group's CEO of football Edwards joined supporters who had placed flowers in remembrance over recent days.
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Arne Slot and his wife pay tribute to Diogo Jota outside Anfield
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Arne Slot and his family's written tribute to Jota
Slot - who managed Jota for just one season but a season in which they won the Premier League title - wrote: "Diogo, we had the same dream and we fulfilled it together. Andre and yourself will forever be in our hearts."
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Andy Robertson lays flowers and a handwritten note
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Robertson's note paying tribute to Jota
Referencing his nickname for his friend, Robertson wrote: "MacJota, our hearts are broken but feeling very grateful for the memories you gave us all!
"I will miss you. Love you, brother. Robbo x."
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Edwards looks at the growing flowers and tributes to Jota outside Anfield
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Edwards and his family's' written tribute to Jota
"Down to earth, determined, a great finisher and above all loved and respected by all who knew him," wrote Edwards.
"He gave everything to the team, with quiet strength and unwavering humility. His impact reached far beyond the pitch."
Gossip: Napoli make opening bid for Nunezpublished at 07:21 9 July
Italian champions Napoli have made a £42m bid for Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez. (Gianluca di Marzo), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column
Last Pundit Standing - finding the BBC's next football expertpublished at 17:47 8 July
Media caption, The BBC's search to find a new football expert is under way, with 12 content creators competing in Last Pundit Standing to win a role as BBC Sport's next football content creator.
The first two episodes of the show - co-hosted by former Watford captain Troy Deeney and YouTuber and football presenter James Allcott - are available to watch on iPlayer, as well as BBC Sport's YouTube channel and TikTok account, with new episodes every week until 11 August.
The contestants, who were chosen from more than 400 applicants, will be whittled down through a series of tasks staged at iconic football locations as the creators are challenged by some of the biggest names in the game.
Watch the first two episodes of Last Pundit Standing now on BBC iPlayer
Liverpool players begin return to training after Jota deathpublished at 13:45 8 July
Mandeep Sanghera
BBC Sport journalist
Image source, PA MediaLiverpool players have started to return to the club for pre-season training following the death of team-mate Diogo Jota.
The first set of players were scheduled to come back from their summer break on Friday but that was postponed after Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, were killed in a car crash in Spain.
Jota was on his way back to Liverpool for pre-season and was making the trip by car and ferry because doctors had advised him against flying after minor surgery.
A large contingent of players and staff from the Anfield club paid their respects to the Jota brothers at a public wake in their native Portugal on Friday.
Their funeral took place on Saturday in their hometown of Gondomar, with Reds captain Virgil van Dijk and defender Andy Robertson carrying flowers in honour of Jota and Andre Silva.
Manager Arne Slot was also part of Liverpool's delegation and his side are due to play their first pre-season match against Preston North End at Deepdale on Sunday, 13 July.
Meanwhile, players Grace Fisk and Gemma Bonner laid flowers on behalf of the Liverpool women's team outside Anfield on Tuesday.
'Diogo had a glorious life'published at 10:53 8 July
Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter
Image source, Getty ImagesTributes to Diogo Jota have been lining the streets outside Anfield all week.
There is little to say that hasn't already been said or shown by the football world. Players, clubs, associations, media and fans of all teams and nations underlined how much they felt about these young men. They were more than just famous people; they were considered friends, even if you had never met them.
Liverpool as a club have yet another tragedy to deal with, and there is little positive to say when losing someone so young. However, Diogo had a glorious life and made many people so happy in the short time he was here, though this will be of minimal relief to his wife, children, parents and other close family members just now.
My thoughts are with him and them all just now and will be for many years.
Thankfully, football never forgets those it loses young, so help will be at hand whenever they need it.
Sign up to read more from Pat Nevin in his Football Extra newsletter
A tragedy marked across emotional weekendpublished at 11:59 7 July
Luke Reddy
BBC Sport Senior Journalist
As the funeral for Diogo Jota and Andre Silva took place in Gondomar, on the outskirts of Porto, the tragic deaths of the two brothers continued to be marked around the world throughout the weekend.
In Liverpool, fans added to what has become a shrine of flowers, keepsakes and tributes, one that now covers the full length of Anfield's Main Stand.
Everton captain Seamus Coleman is said to have visited the tributes after 11 o'clock on Friday night in order to avoid cameras and unwanted attention, external.
At around the same time, in Cardiff, Oasis marked their first gig in 16 years by flashing Jota up on the Principality Stadium's big screen as the closing stages of their iconic anthem Live Forever played out.
At Florida's Camping World Stadium, Portuguese duo Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo cried tears of sadness during a pre-match tribute to Jota shortly before their Al-Hilal side exited the Club World Cup.
On Sunday night, at the NRG Stadium in Texas, Jota's former Wolves team-mate Raul Jimenez paid tribute to the Liverpool striker with a goal celebration as Mexico overcame the USA to win the Gold Cup.
The emotions and actions shown by those above capture a sadness and disbelief that lingers - and will continue to linger - for some time. Some Liverpool players will return to testing and training this week but will have to deal with the prospect of their much-loved team-mate not being there.
Media caption, Musician leads rendition of Diogo Jota chant
In an exclusive interview with BBC Sport, former Wolves defender Conor Coady explained the impact Jota had on both himself and the club prior to his move to Liverpool in 2020.
"We were gutted we were losing him because he was that good," said Coady.
"But at the same time, you gave him a big hug and you went: 'You know what mate, you deserve it more than anyone. Go and enjoy yourself. Go and make a name for yourself at one of the biggest clubs because you can certainly do that.' And he has done that for a number of years.
"People look at football and think it's all about rivalry. But watching him win the Premier League with Liverpool, it filled me with immense pride - to say I played with him and he has gone on to do incredible things.
"He took it by storm, like he took us by storm. Like he then took the Premier League by storm. Like he then took the Europa League by storm with Wolves.
"He's then gone and done it with one of the biggest clubs in the land. A remarkable footballer, but an even better team-mate, which is 10 times more important than being a remarkable footballer for me."
Van Dijk and Robertson lead Jota tributespublished at 07:28 7 July
Media caption, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson carried floral tributes into the church before the funeral of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva on Saturday.
The service held in Gondomar brought together huge names from across football, including many of Jota's current and former Liverpool team-mates and manager Arne Slot.
Diogo Jota: A Tributepublished at 19:05 4 July
Media caption, 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.
'Jota embodied everything a player should be'published at 18:03 4 July
Jordan Chamberlain
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesI 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
