Preston vs Liverpool: ‘Champion’ Diogo Jota honoured

Diogo Jota was hailed “a champion” on Sunday by Liverpool manager Arne Slot as the Reds returned to the field for the first time since the Portuguese’s death in a pre-season friendly at Preston.

Father of three Jota, who married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso 11 days before the accident, died alongside his brother Andre Silva on July 3 after their car came off the road and burst into flames in northern Spain.

A rendition of Liverpool’s anthem “You’ll Never Walk Alone” was played before kick-off at Deepdale and Preston captain Ben Whiteman laid a wreath in front of the away supporters.

A minute’s silence was then observed and both teams wore black armbands.

“I think what I take comfort in is that in the last month of his life he was a champion in everything,” Slot said in an interview ahead of the match.

“A champion for his family, which is the main and most important thing, because he got married.

“A champion for his country because he won the Nations League with a country that he cared about so much, because he also wore the flag when we had celebrations.

“And of course a champion for us by winning the Premier League.”

Mohamed Salah was among the Liverpool starting line-up and captain for the day as other first-team stars such as Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson were left out of the playing squad but were still in attendance.

Multiple renditions of Jota’s song, proclaiming him to be better than Portugal legend Figo, were belted out by the Liverpool support before a ball was even kicked.

In the crowd, flags emblazoned with “forever our number 20” paid tribute to the man from just outside Porto, who died at just 28.

Liverpool announced on Friday that the club will retire Jota’s number 20 in his memory.

Earlier this week Slot and his wife joined several players in attending the tributes that have appeared to Jota and his brother outside Anfield.

“We will always carry him with us in our hearts, in our thoughts, wherever we go,” added Slot. “Nothing seems to be important if we think of what has happened.

It’s very difficult to find the right words because we constantly debate what is appropriate.

“I’ve said to them (the players), maybe the best thing for us to do is handle this situation like Jota was. And what I meant with that is that Jota was always himself.

“It didn’t matter if he was talking to me, to his team-mates, to the staff, he was always himself. So let us try to be ourselves as well.”