Liverpool CEO Billy Hogan has paid a heartfelt tribute to Diogo Jota after the Reds' star and his brother, Andre Silva, were killed in a car crash last week.
Hogan, who knew Jota well, also explained that it was too soon to consider what plans Liverpool might eventually confirm on how Jota and Silva will be marked and remembered. For now, the priority is coming to terms with the tragedy and helping the family.
"First, I would just say that obviously we’re here today — and so many people have been here before — to just offer condolences and thoughts and prayers for Diogo and for Andre, and most importantly for their family," Hogan told the Reds' official website.
"It has only been a couple of days but, as we all know, it has been just absolutely devastating. We’re a club in mourning. We have all been completely shocked by the situation and, again, can only think of what this has meant to their family.
"What we see behind us and the overwhelming outpouring of support and emotion and grief and love — having a chance to walk down the row here and read the cards and read the messages, our anthem, You’ll Never Walk Alone, it does mean something.
"In this case, I think everybody just feels so passionately about making sure that we remember the two boys but also that we support their family, and we’re going to work through this together."
Hogan also spoke warmly about Jota, explaining his relationship with the 28-year-old. "Obviously he was an incredible footballer and gave us incredible memories," Hogan said. "One of the messages was how many times we said, ‘Just bring Jota on’ — I think we probably all said similar things over the years.
"Obviously football was a huge part of his life, it was how we got to know him. But he was beyond that obviously a son, a brother, a father, a husband. It sounds trite to say it but he was just a really good person; he was kind, he was thoughtful.
"He and I had a number of conversations about his e-sports that he was really involved in and we would chat about some of the things that were going on with his team.
"When he talked to you, he would look you in the eye. When you spoke to him, he would listen. He was just a really good, good person. I think that’s why people loved him so much, and he returned that love.
"He played with a joy. He was obviously incredibly well loved by all of his teammates. We were incredibly welcomed in Gondomar when we were at the wake and the services.
Cody Gakpo of Liverpool lays a tribute to team mate Diogo Jota at Anfield
Cody Gakpo of Liverpool lays a tribute to team mate Diogo Jota at Anfield (Image: 2025 Liverpool FC)
"You could see his national teammates, Andre’s teammates, the wider friends and family, the impact they had — two special people that obviously are gone far too early."
In terms of how Liverpool might mark the passing of Jota in the future, plans are not yet in place. That will come in time, but it is too early at the current moment.
"It is early, it has obviously only been a few days," Hogan explained. "I think the most important thing in this process is that we want to make sure we are respecting the family.
"As a club, there’s been lots of ideas and certainly within the supporter base lots of ideas. That’s something we’ll take forward with the family and we want to have those conversations at the appropriate time. Obviously they have gone through an unimaginable situation over the course of the last several days.
"We certainly will, obviously, remember both Andre and Diogo, and at the appropriate time, we’ll make those plans clear. We’ve got the match on Sunday at Deepdale and we’ll of course remember them at that match.
"Then the tour, then we come back to Anfield and then the season starts, so we’re thinking about all of those moments. Of course, we want to make sure we do the right thing and appropriately remember both Andre and Diogo."