Liverpool showcased their class by committing to paying the remainder of Diogo Jota’s contract to his family following the player’s tragic demise. Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, were killed in a devastating car crash on July 3 this year, just 11 days after Jota’s wedding. The Jota family was plunged into grief when the two footballers were involved in an accident in the Spanish province of Zamora.
It was later revealed that Diogo was driving the pair to a port in Santander for pre-season training in Merseyside when his Lamborghini Huracan had a tyre blowout while overtaking another vehicle, resulting in the fatal crash. Jota, who would have celebrated his 29th birthday today (Thursday), joined Liverpool from Wolves in 2020 and quickly endeared himself to fans. He still had two years left on his £140,000-a-week contract when the tragedy occurred, leaving behind his wife Rute Cardoso and their three young children.
In response to his untimely death, tributes poured in acknowledging his contributions and importance to the club. But Liverpool went beyond mere words of condolence and pledged to pay out the remainder of his contract to his bereaved family.
This significant gesture was highlighted by manager Arne Slot, who confirmed that it is not standard practice for clubs to make such commitments, even in such sorrowful circumstances.
“I said how proud I felt about how the fans reacted and the ownership,” said Arne Slot on TNT Sports in September. “Owners are mainly criticised, like managers, but the way they’ve handled this situation by paying his wife and his children all the money from the contract is…maybe people think it’s normal, but it is not in football.”
Liverpool’s ownership group Fenway Sports Group (FSG) have earned widespread praise for their shrewd business acumen throughout their Merseyside tenure. Yet it’s the compassion demonstrated through this heartfelt gesture that truly warrants acclaim.
Jota netted 65 times and provided 26 assists across 182 Liverpool outings during his five-year spell with the club. He contributed to the Reds’ Premier League triumph just months before his passing, whilst also playing a vital part in their 2022 FA Cup and EFL Cup triumphs.
As a lasting tribute to his impact at Anfield, Liverpool permanently withdrew his No 20 shirt in July. This honour extends across the men’s senior squad, women’s side and all academy levels.
Jota and his sibling Andre were interred in their native Gondomar during July. A Liverpool delegation spearheaded by skipper Virgil van Dijk and Andrew Robertson, amongst Diogo’s dearest footballing companions, paid their respects.
Robertson had attended Jota’s wedding celebration mere days before his unexpected passing. The Scottish defender subsequently composed a heartfelt message honouring his departed friend following confirmation of the tragic news.
“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,” Robertson expressed. “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.
“He was 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.”
