ANFIELD, LIVERPOOL — There was a general sense of it not quite feeling real amid the mourning. Some Liverpool fans laid down scarves, shirts and other tributes for Diogo Jota; others either stood silently or wept.
The last time Liverpool fans gathered outside the club’s home, it was to celebrate lifting the Premier League title. This time, it was to come to terms with a huge loss; the Reds’ number 20 has died following a car crash in Spain in the early hours of Thursday morning, local time.
Andre Silva, Jota’s younger brother and a fellow professional, was also killed in the crash. And fans of his club, the Portuguese second-tier side Penafiel, are also still adjusting to the news.
For both players, the most important thing is the family they leave behind. Jota married his wife, Rute, less than two weeks ago, and they had three young children together. They, alongside the rest of his family and friends, deserve privacy and the chance to grieve.
"I couldn’t believe it when my son sent a message," one mother could be heard saying as she moved away from the tributes. "He’s so young."
There is no doubt that the way the sport treats footballers is more as if they aren’t real people — commodities in the transfer market, or accounts to vent at on social media. On this occasion, you wished it wasn’t real, but it is.
On the field, Jota was often the man to step up in big moments. For instance, what proved to be his final Liverpool goal was the winner in the Merseyside derby at Anfield.
That strike was typical of his game. It wasn’t always pretty, but he was tenacious and never knew when he was beaten. When he did score, it tended to be important.
Even if he wasn’t performing well — and there were goal droughts at times — Jota would always run and work as hard as anyone. It was that, as much as the goals, that made him so endearing.
It says plenty that Jota was loved not just by Liverpool fans, but Wolves supporters too — a rarity in a tribal game. "He left this club as a star, and he will always be a star in our eyes," the Molineux club said.
Those at FC Porto and Atletico Madrid, for whom he played before moving to England, are in mourning too. There was a Wolves shirt laid on the floor outside Anfield.
Liverpool fans pay tribute to Diogo Jota.
Liverpool fans pay tribute to Diogo Jota. (Image: Matt Addison)
Off the field, Jota was loved by his teammates and the rest of the Liverpool staff at the training ground. "This is a moment where I struggle," Jurgen Klopp said. "There must be a bigger purpose, but I can’t see it. I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of Diogo and his brother Andre."
It was Roberto Firmino whose place was most under threat from Jota when Klopp signed him. "It was a privilege and an honor to have known and lived such special moments alongside you," the Brazilian posted in tribute. "Rest in Peace."
From all over the world — players, clubs, fans, officials — the tributes came flooding in. This was, after all, one of soccer’s good guys.
A few weeks before the Premier League title was confirmed, this reporter was exiting the AXA Training Centre in Kirkby when Jota drove by. A group of young Liverpool fans were patiently waiting, hoping to catch a glimpse of one of their heroes.
It just so happened that Jota was driving away — presumably after a training session — and though he couldn’t stop, in busy traffic and coming up to a roundabout, he offered a smile and a wave.
Scarves have been laid out on the grass outside Anfield's Main Stand.
Scarves have been laid out on the grass outside Anfield's Main Stand. (Image: Matt Addison)
It was rare that Jota wasn’t smiling, in truth — he was known as someone who found joy in life — though the gesture made the children’s day.
Few, if any, of the fans around Anfield will have come across Jota much in person. And yet, they felt touched enough by his enthusiasm for Liverpool and his sporting contributions that they had forged a bond.
"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," Arne Slot said in a statement. "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."
Jota’s song — he wears the number 20 — was one of the soundtracks of the most successful Liverpool spell in the modern era. It will be sung with even greater poignance now.