Jose Mourinho spoke at length about Diogo Jota on Friday afternoon
Jose Mourinho speaking to Sky Sports
Jose Mourinho spoke at length about Diogo Jota(Image: Sky Sports)
Jose Mourinho has paid a heartfelt tribute to Diogo Jota ahead of the Liverpool forward's funeral on Saturday. The Portugal international was travelling with his brother, Andre Silva, in northern Spain when his car was involved in a fatal accident in the early hours of Thursday (July 3).
News of Jota’s death has sent shockwaves throughout football, with tributes flooding in from across the world. Floral tributes have also been laid out by supporters outside Anfield since the news.
And speaking to Sky Sports on Friday, Mourinho said: "When people leave this world, normally we all say 'such a nice guy'. Diogo was really a nice guy.
"He had my agent [Jorge Mendes], so of course I knew a lot about him. And people in Liverpool know what I’m saying is true. He is a kid who nothing was easy for him, he had to fight to arrive where he arrived.
"Three kids without a dad, a young woman without her husband, the parents lose both sons… it’s crazy. It’s difficult to understand. Maybe one day we will understand but not now."
The tragedy has also brought back painful memories for Mourinho, who recalled the death of Rui Filipe, a Porto midfielder, in a similar accident in 1994.
"It happened with me many, many years ago when I was working at Porto with Mr Robson," he said. "One of our boys, a loved boy, died in a car crash.
"Instead of the boys suffering alone it was like the group suffered together and trying to fight for his memory. It was a boy Rui Filipe and we were champions, I think, for him.
“In Liverpool they’re going to suffer together. The club is a fantastic club. I think they are deciding to take away the shirt number 20.
“At Anfield he will always be part of the family and maybe they lose a player but maybe they win even more soul than what they have."