Liverpool manager Arne Slot has spoken with deep emotion about the club’s decision to retire Diogo Jota’s number 20 shirt.
A gesture that will forever honour the forward’s memory after his tragic passing alongside his brother, Andre Silva.
The club, the players and the entire city have spent the past week grappling with grief.
But Slot believes retiring the shirt was a necessary step to ensure Jota’s legacy endures.
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Arne Slot on why the club chose a unique tribute
Slot explained how the decision came from a place of love and respect for Jota, describing it as something the club simply had to do.
“We will always carry him with us in our hearts, in our thoughts, wherever we go,” he said.
“Maybe especially in difficult moments because of what I just said. But in any moment we are here, we will carry him with us.”
Reflecting on what Jota brought to Liverpool, Slot described him as a player who was never afraid to take responsibility when matches were on the line and as a person who always put the team first.
“Jots was the player that, if things were really, really difficult, I always looked at him and said, ‘Now we need something special from you.’ And he delivered so many times,” Slot shared.
While recalling moments of brilliance, including decisive goals and title-winning contributions, Slot also made clear that Jota’s impact went far beyond football.
“In the last month of his life he was a champion in everything. A champion for his family, which is the main and most important thing, because he got married.
“A champion for his country because he won the Nations League. And of course, a champion for us by winning the Premier League.”
By retiring the shirt, Liverpool has given supporters a lasting way to remember a player who inspired everyone around him and a person whose spirit will remain part of the club forever.
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