We have all been grappling with the sudden loss of Diogo Jota and his brother, André Silva, in a car accident last Thursday, July 3rd. While the pair’s family and friends will be struggling with the full force of the loss, fans, too, have come together to grieve and pay respects to the brothers.
To aid this communal grieving, the club — as well as fan media — have produced video and other content in an attempt to share the process of grieving as a collective. While these will not be for everyone, I found the videos to be a source of community that is helpful as I articulate my own feelings. Indeed, many may feel at a loss of connection if they lack a local community of Liverpool fans, or if they find themselves away from home. While nothing that exists in the direct face of grief is easy to cope with, if you would find such things useful I have linked them here.
As someone who has not yet been able to watch any live football since the news broke, and who finds herself thinking of Jota in unexpected moments, I found the videos useful for my own process of grief, and as a means to keep the players who knew Jota and his brother, as well as his family and broader network of friends, close to my heart.
Liverpool FC have produced their own official video of remembrance, entitled “Remembering Diogo, Our Number 20*,”* which has been released alongside a compilation of Diogo Jota’s goals for the Reds. The video, embedded below, is also available on the club’s YouTube and ALL RED Video, as well as on LFCTV periodically (the live broadcast has passed). I was able to find and download a smart TV app for ALL RED Video, for which I am grateful — this deserved to be on the big screen.
The club’s video intermeshes discussion of Jota’s legacy with broader discussions of grief and remembrance, and does include video of the Portuguese during his time with the Reds. It concludes in Jota’s own voice, which I mention here as a warning. Most of the runtime, however, focuses on voices within the club and in the Liverpool fan community.
The Anfield Wrap and Redmen TV, both large independendent fan media channels, have produced videos and other content in remembrance of Diogo Jota — and both outlets feature, too, in the club’s official video.
Both videos are embedded below, but are also available for free on their YouTube channels and anywhere else their content is accessible to you.
From The Anfield Wrap is a segment entitled “Jota Remembered:”
From Redmen TV is a segment entitled “Remembering Diogo Jota:”
While I know such content may be a bit too much for some, I hope those interested find them useful as a means of community around loss.
Finally, The Late Challenge (TLC) podcast, a newer channel hosted by familiar fan media personalities, themselves have released a stream grappling with the tragedy.
It may be worth noting that both Redmen and TLC are posted versions of streamed events, thus may seem rawer when it comes to the conversation.