As the football world remembers Diogo Jota on what would have been his 29th birthday, fans are reminded of one thoughtful gesture made by Liverpool to his surviving family
Diogo Jota and wife Rute Cardoso with two of their children
Liverpool made a heart-warming gesture to Diogo Jota's surviving family after his death
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Liverpool, demonstrated their class by paying Diogo Jota's family the remainder of his contract earnings following the star's tragic death. Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, died in a horrific car accident on July 3 of this year, just 11 days after he got married.
The Jota family was struck by tragedy after the two footballers crashed in the Spanish province of Zamora. It was later confirmed Diogo was driving the two siblings to a port in Santander to report for pre-season on Merseyside when his Lamborghini Huracan suffered a tyre blowout while overtaking another vehicle, causing the car to skid and crash.
Jota, who would have turned 29 on Thursday, had moved to Anfield from Wolves in 2020 and quickly became a fan favourite. He had two years remaining on his £140,000-a-week contract when the worst unfolded, leaving behind wife Rute Cardoso and three young children.
In recognition of his achievements and significance to the club, Jota's death led to a swift outpouring of tributes. Liverpool did more than offer mere words as consolation, however, and agreed to pay out the remainder of his contract to his surviving family.
The gesture was a substantial one as manager Arne Slot confirmed it's by no means a given for clubs to do such a thing, even on such grievous occasions.
"I said how proud I felt about how the fans reacted and the ownership," said Arne Slot on TNT Sports in September. "Owners are mainly criticised, like managers, but the way they've handled this situation by paying his wife and his children all the money from the contract is...maybe people think it's normal, but it is not in football."
Photo of Diogo Jota and Rute Cardoso
Jota married his widow, Rute Cardoso, only shortly before his tragic death
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Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) have been lauded for a litany of smart business decisions during their time in charge on Merseyside. However, it's the level of empathy on display with this gesture that deserves recognition.
Jota scored 65 goals and recorded 26 assists in 182 Liverpool appearances during his five seasons with the Reds. He helped the club lift the Premier League title only a couple of months prior to his death, having also played a crucial role in the FA Cup and EFL Cup double of 2022.
In further recognition of his contributions to the club, Liverpool also permanently retired his No. 20 jersey in July. This applies to the men's first team, women's team and Liverpool's academy teams.
Jota and his brother, Andre, were laid to rest in their hometown, Gondomar, back in July. A delegation of Liverpool players led by captain Virgil van Dijk and Andrew Robertson, one of Diogo's closest friends in football, led the tributes.
Virgil van Dijk and Andrew Robertson, football players for Liverpool FC, carry floral tributes which read "20" and "30" as they arrive with teammates at a funeral held for Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva at Igreja Matriz de Gondomar
Virgil van Dijk and Andrew Robertson were among those to pay tribute to their late team-mate in Portugal
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Robertson was among those in attendance for Jota's wedding only days prior to his sudden death. And the Scot penned a touching tribute to his late pal not long after the news was confirmed.
"The ones I'm thinking about most right now are the family. Their loss is too much to bear. I'm so sorry that they have lost two such precious souls – Diogo and Andre," said Robertson. "For the team and the Club, we'll try to cope with this together… however long that takes.
"For me, I want to talk about my mate. My buddy. The bloke I loved and will miss like crazy. I could talk about him as a player for hours, but none of that feels like it matters right now. It’s the man. The person. He was such a good guy. The best. So genuine. Just normal and real.
"Full of love for the people he cared about. Full of fun. He was the most British foreign player I've ever met. We used to joke he was really Irish… I'd try to claim him as Scottish, obviously. I even called him Diogo MacJota. We'd watch the darts together, enjoy the horse racing. Going to Cheltenham this season was a highlight - one of the best we had."