Sadio Mane has sent a heartfelt tribute to Diogo Jota in the wake of the 28-year-old’s tragic passing this week.
The Liverpool forward died in a car crash in the early hours of Thursday morning in the Spanish region of Zamora, following a burst tyre. It’s understood Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, who also sadly passed away in the road traffic collision, were travelling back to England for the start of Liverpool’s preseason.
That was originally due to begin on Monday, although reports have indicated it has been pushed back to Tuesday, while the club’s book of condolence is open until Sunday. It has been a devastating week for Liverpool, and Mane, who played alongside Jota for two years at Anfield, sent an emotional post on Sunday .
“Your disappearance will leave us with a void because you left in the prime of your age,” the Senegalese forward wrote on Instagram.
“This makes us sad and dismayed remains the best feeling shared for those of us who have stood by you on a daily basis for years at Liverpool FC. Forever in our hearts.”
Mane had earlier in the week posted a picture of the pair along with a broken heart emoji, and he joins the scores of current and former players who commemorated Jota this week.
The Portuguese brothers were buried in Gondomar, a town on the outskirts of Porto, on Saturday. A large contingent of players from Liverpool were present, with Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson carrying floral tributes to the siblings.
As the world of soccer continues to mourn, players across the globe have sent messages of support this weekend. Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele dedicated their goals at the Club World Cup to Jota, by replicating his Fifa-themed celebration during a 4-3 win over Tottenham Hotspur in 2023.
Others involved in the tournament such as Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo, Jota’s Portugal international teammates, were visibly upset before Al-Hilal’s match against Fluminense, when a tribute was paid to the brothers ahead of the game.
Pedro Neto walked out with a Chelsea shirt showing the names of Diogo and Andre before the Blues’ game against Palmeiras, while Trent Alexander-Arnold also spoke about his former teammate after Real Madrid’s victory over Borussia Dortmund.
“I want to send my condolences and my thoughts and prayers to a close friend of mine,” the right-back told DAZN.
Diogo Jota celebrates Sadio Mane's goal
Mane and Jota played together at Anfield for two years
“I had five years sharing a dressing room with him and it goes without saying that he will never be forgotten by anyone. He will live long in our memories.
“But at the end of the day, I still had a job to do today. I had to go out there and perform for the team, help us win the game, no matter how difficult it was and how difficult it is.
"As hard as it was, I had to push it to the back of my mind and focus on my job and my role. I tried to do as best as I could. It was difficult, I'm not going to lie about that, but I have done it in honour of my close friend
"I'm sure he would have wanted me to do that and I'm sure we would have had a laugh and a joke about my assist as well, so yes, it was in some way in memory of him. He was there with me in some way, I'm sure."