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Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate responded to Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele's celebrations in memory of Diogo Jota after their goals at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States of America. The Portuguese striker tragically lost his life in a car crash that shocked the football world on July 3.
After the Frenchman scored Real Madrid’s third goal in a 3-2 win over Borussia Dortmund, he signaled the number 20, Jota’s shirt number, to the cameras. Dembele replicated the late forward's gamer celebration after his goal against Bayern Munich as well.
Their international and Jota's former Liverpool teammate, Konate, appreciated the gestures and shared pictures on his Instagram story, writing:
“My brother.”
Diogo Jota joined Liverpool from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer of 2020 for a reported € 44.7 million and helped the English side claim their 20th league title.
The 28-year-old and his brother, Andre Silva, who also died in the ill-fated crash, were laid to rest in his hometown of Gondomar on July 5, with most of his Liverpool and Portugal teammates, including Ibrahima Konate, in attendance.
Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate’s heartfelt tribute to Diogo Jota
Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate sent out a heartfelt message to Diogo Jota on his Instagram account after the Portuguese star’s unfortunate death. The pair represented the Merseyside club and helped them to league glory in the recently concluded campaign.
In a video posted on the social media platform that showed a compilation of the two players together, Konate wrote:
“Diogo... I still can’t believe it. I’m devastated. I have no words to express my feelings. Beyond the extraordinary footballer you were, there was an exceptional man, a friend, and brother! May you and André rest in peace. I am truly devastated by this news. This club, this family that we shared together, will never forget you! I think back to all the moments we shared and I still can’t believe it, they all seemed perfect… You can be sure of one thing: your family won’t walk alone. We’ll be there to help them through this devastating moment.
“I would like to address the world: today it’s Diogo and his brother. Yesterday it was someone else. Tomorrow it could be us. Let’s enjoy every moment that life offers us, with our families, friends, even strangers. Let’s try to live in peace and send each other love. We don’t know what tomorrow brings. I LOVE YOU, MY BROTHER.”
Diogo Jota and Ibrahima Konate played 85 games together for Liverpool and combined for one goal in 4455 minutes on the pitch. They averaged 2.22 points per game together and won two League Cups, one FA Cup, and one EPL title.
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Patrick Cocobassey
Patrick is a European and international football journalist at Sportskeeda covering news and transfer rumors. A Business Administration graduate with a professional experience of 10 years, one of his earliest childhood memories is watching Calabar Rovers play at the U.J. Esuene Stadium with his father, with whom, he connects with, discussing the beautiful game.
Patrick’s favorite team is Manchester United for their unparallelled legacy and success in the game. He is a big admirer of Michael Carrick and his ‘smooth’ style of play back in the days. His favorite manager is Jose Mourinho, who according to him, brought a ‘swagger’ to football with his unique managerial style. Robin van Persie’s title-winning volley against Aston Villa for the 2013 PL triumph is etched in his memory forever.
Patrick always uses trusted outlets that produce accurate, balanced and fair information, and which present multiple point of views. He believes in reporting in a holistic manner for the readers’ benefit. If he could change a football rule, he would increase the number of substitutions allowed due to the high number of games played these days, to reduce injuries and so that youngsters get to show their talent as well.
When not covering football, Patrick loves reading, writing poems and short stories, and spend time with his dog Lana.
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Edited by Sankalp Srivastava