By Simon Wilkes
Liverpool manager Arne Slot says he is lost for words following the tragic death of Diogo Jota – describing the ‘sense of shock’ and ‘pain’ over the devastating news.
Jota, 28, died in a car crash in Zamora, Spain, along with his brother Andre Silva on Thursday – and the funeral will be held on Saturday.
The world of football has been mourning the loss of the talented Portugal international, who won the Premier League title last season – and married his partner, Rute Cardoso, less than two weeks ago.
The tragic accident happened after the car in which they were travelling crashed and caught fire after a suspected burst tyre.
Jota moved to Merseyside from Wolves in 2020 and went on to score 65 goals in 182 appearances for the Reds, while also helping them to lift the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup on two occasions.
Raw pain
Reds boss Slot said in a statement on the club’s official website: “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.
You’ll never walk alone
“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, 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 team-mate, a colleague, a workmate and in all of those roles he was very special.
Essence of a Liverpool player
“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.
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Stand together
“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.”
Jota’s Liverpool team-mates have joined their manager in paying tribute to Jota, with talisman Mohamed Salah saying on social media: “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.
Difficult to accept
“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.”
Total disbelief
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk described the tragedy as ‘cruel and unfair’, saying: “Man, I can’t believe it, I don’t wanna 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.”
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Newsjustnews writers 
Geoffrey H. Latayan