Jurgen Klopp is one of the contributors to a new biography about Diogo Jota, and says he still can't process the tragic loss of the Portuguese forward
Jurgen Klopp and Diogo Jota (Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Jurgen Klopp and Diogo Jota (Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
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Jurgen Klopp says he was adamant that he had to sign Diogo Jota for Liverpool, and admits he still can't process the death of such a popular member of his Reds squad.
Jota was a somewhat surprise signing for Liverpool from Wolves in September 2020, as he joined a Reds squad that had just won the Premier League and had one of the most feared and established front threes in world football in Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.
The Portuguese would go on the complement the trio and eventually usurp Firmino and Mane in Klopp's plans, before going on to win a Premier League title himself under Arne Slot in 2025.
That success came just weeks before Jota's tragic death alongside his brother Andre Silva in a car crash in northern Spain, and in a new biography celebrating his life, Klopp recalls how he had to convince others at Liverpool over bringing the forward the club.
"I was watching a Wolves match," recalls Klopp in Diogo Jota: Forever In Our Hearts from Reach Sport, which is available now. "When Diogo drifted to the left, using his physicality, showing refined technique and tremendous power. I immediately thought: ‘I want this player’.
"It was a gut feeling, the sort that you can usually rely on.
"Over the years, I’ve learnt that if you see certain things in a footballer – certain actions – they can tell you a great deal about the person. And there have only been very rare cases where I’ve been disappointed or come to realise, later on, that they were actually completely different.
"Normally when I sign a player, the process is different. I work closely with the scouts and sporting directors, I tell them which position I need to strengthen, and they come back to me with some options. In Diogo’s case, it was me who took the initiative. I asked them to put together some material about him. I told them I wanted to take a closer look at him, and that I was excited about his attributes.
"We needed versatile players, and Diogo could play in several positions. And he had the right attitude and mentality for a club like Liverpool."
Klopp says he is still coming to terms with the death of Jota at 28, and finds it difficult to speak about the loss of the husband and father of three.
“I’m 58 years old. I know that people die, that this is part of life," he said. "Once you reach a certain age, we have to accept that these things happen. But when I heard about Diogo’s accident, I was in shock and I couldn’t even speak. I didn’t ask how, I didn’t ask where; I just stopped what I was doing and tried to come to terms with it. To this day, I must admit, I still haven’t really managed to do that.
“When my assistant Danielle asked me if I was available to have this conversation – to contribute to this book – I said yes, that I wanted to talk about Diogo, to think about him. However, now that we’re talking, I can see that I’m not ready for it.
"I’ve spent most of my life talking, but now I’m just hanging by a thread, lost for words – which is not at all normal. It’s crazy…”
Diogo Jota: Forever In Our Hearts (Reach Sport) is on sale now. Every purchase supports LFC Foundation, with all LFC profits funding a grassroots football programme established in Diogo Jota's name.
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Diogo Jota: Forever In Our Hearts (Reach Sport, £22) is on sale now.
Every purchase supports LFC Foundation, with all LFC profits funding a grassroots football programme established in Diogo Jota's name