Liverpool winger Luis Diaz has posted a special message to Diogo Jota after the tragic death of the Liverpool forward, who passed away after a car crash in northern Spain in the early hours of Thursday morning.
In October 2023, when Diaz's parents had been kidnapped, Jota opened the scoring for Liverpool in a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest. As he celebrated, the Portugal striker lifted Diaz's shirt above his head, dedicating the goal to the Colombian.
"Luis was with us in the hotel [before the game] and then he went home," Jota said. "He was going to play. I played instead of him and I showed him his shirt to show we're with him and we hope everything works out."
Now, it is Jota's family dealing with an unimaginable situation. And Diaz made reference to the tribute that Jota did for him when he wrote on social media following the heartbreaking news emerging.
"I have no words..." Diaz wrote on Instagram. "It hurts in my soul. Not just for what he was on the pitch, but for the person he was off it.
"There are gestures that one never forgets, and Diogo had one with me that will accompany me all my life. My hug goes out to Rute, his three children and his family. Rest in peace, Diogo and Andre."
Diogo Jota of Liverpool celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the UEFA Europa League 2023/24 match between Liverpool FC and Toulouse FC at Anfield on October 26, 2023 in Liverpool, England
Diogo Jota leaves behind a wife and three children (Image: Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
"There are no words of comfort for so much pain," Darwin Nunez posted in his own tribute. "I will always remember you with your smile, as a good companion on and off the field.
"I send all my strength to his family. From where he is, I am sure he will always be with you, especially his wife and three children."
"It's so difficult to find the right words when your head and heart are struggling to accept that someone you care so much about has gone," Trent Alexander-Arnold wrote.
"Diogo, your family was your world. They were everything. For Rute, his children, and his parents, all of our hearts are broken. And for Andre as well. Brothers and best friends.
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"When it's less painful, I want to remember Diogo with a big smile. So many laughs and happy moments. He was such a great teammate and a true friend. Forever number 20. Rest in peace, Diogo."
"My first thoughts are not those of a football manager," Arne Slot said in a statement. "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.
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 today, the same can be said of the wider family of football.