Arne Slot cut an emotional figure as he discussed Andy Robertson‘s comments about Diogo Jota after his World Cup qualification and the impossibility of measuring the toll it is taking.
Robertson was courageously open about how Jota had occupied his thoughts in the build-up to Scotland’s biggest-ever match and how the grief is ever-present.
“I was in a bit of trouble in my room earlier. I think I hid it well from the boys. I know he’ll be somewhere smiling over me tonight. I couldn’t get him out of my head all day,” Robertson said.
It was a vulnerable admission live on national television, and Slot was asked in Friday’s press conference if he felt Liverpool were being fairly judged amid the raw emotion the club is still carrying.
Slot knows Diogo Jota loss is affecting the players
“I think we’re always judged sometimes fair, sometimes unfair. I saw the (Robertson) interview live, and I know that it is an issue for us, which is completely normal,” Slot said.
“But then at these moments of time, I always think about how much I feel for his wife and his children, because that’s so, so, so, so much harder for them than it is for us.
“But that we miss the player and the person, that is completely clear.
“Maybe it tells you even more now we play Nottingham Forest. Last season we were 1-0 down at Forest and it only took him one minute to score the equaliser.
NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND - Tuesday, January 14, 2025: Liverpool's Diogo Jota scores his side's first equalising goal during the FA Premier League match between Nottingham Forest FC and Liverpool FC at the City Ground. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“So now I’m talking about the player that we miss. This season we haven’t managed to come back as many times as last season after being a goal down, and he definitely played his part last season.
“But we also miss him as a person, that is completely clear. But again, his wife and children will miss him so much more, and his parents as well.”
Slot insists: “We will never use it as an excuse”
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Friday, August 8, 2025: An aerial view of a mural dedicated to Liverpool's number 20 Diogo Jota. The mural was painted in tribute to the Liverpool player who died in a car crash in July and has been adorned with messages written by supporters. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Slot was visibly emotional as he navigated the question, another obvious indication of the grief that the players and coaches are carrying every day.
He was then asked about the constant reminders of Jota and what impact that has, to which Slot responded: “I think it’s good to remember him every time possible, because of the person and player he was.
“But it’s impossible to measure what it does to the players and then to measure what it does for our results.
“The last thing I will do is to use it as an excuse, because I simply don’t know.
“What I do know is what we do miss the player, that’s 100 percent sure, and we also miss the person, but I cannot measure what impact that has on our performances, let alone on our results.
“That’s impossible for me to say. We will never use it as an excuse, because that doesn’t feel right.”