Liverpool's players will carry the memory of former team-mate Diogo Jota with them into Friday night's clash with Bournemouth at Anfield, with Alexis Mac Allister sharing some heartfelt words
Diogo Jota of Liverpool celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC at Anfield on January 31, 2024 in Liverpool, England.
Alexis Mac Allister says Diogo Jota will be supporting his Liverpool team-mates from above on Friday
(Image: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Alexis Mac Alilster has paid a touching tribute to Diogo Jota ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League season opener. The Reds kick-off the 2025/26 campaign at home against Bournemouth on Friday evening as they look to defend their 20th Premier League crown.
But they will sadly be without their No. 20 Jota – his number retired and etched in history – after the forward’s tragic death last month. The Portugal international passed away in a car crash alongside his brother, Andre Silva, 39 days after lifting his first league trophy with the Reds and just 11 days after marrying the mother of his three children.
It’s understandable therefore that, with anticipation building ahead of a new league season, Jota’s absence has stirred up emotion among his former team-mates. One such team-mate is midfielder Mac Allister, who was among the 28-year-old’s closest friends in the Liverpool dressing room.
The Argentina international on Thursday wrote in The Players’ Tribune about Liverpool’s success last term, before offering a heart-warming tribute to Jota and his brother.
He began by saying: “Obviously, and with great emotion, I want to dedicate this paragraph to Diogo. I still can't understand how he left us so early. I always had a good relationship with him, but this past year even more so.
“He was always a very down-to-earth, family-oriented person, and never tried to pretend to be something he wasn't. One day he would come and give you the hug of a lifetime, and the next day he wouldn't even say hello, hahaha.
Diogo Jota and Alexis Mac Allister celebrate
Alexis Mac Allister is one of many to have been left mourning Diogo Jota
“We loved to ‘take the p***,’ and we always found a way, whether it was our Messi vs Cristiano arguments, or just playing cards. It was part of the game. I will always choose to remember him with a smile.
“And I know that with that smile, he'll be supporting us from above. If you don’t believe that, then just look at the minute Jeremie Frimpong scored in the Community Shield. The 20th. These are signs.”
On Sunday, in what was the team's first competitive match since news of Jota’s tragic accident horrified the world, new signing Frimpong scored a bizarre goal in the 20th minute, just as fans were applauding in memory of their former forward and No. 20.
Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister speaks during a media interview
Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister is expected to feature at Anfield on Friday night
Mac Allister added: “I’d like to take this opportunity to send my warmest regards to his family, whom we must never forget, as they are the ones who are suffering the most from the tragic passing of him and his brother André. My respect and love to all of them.”
Jota’s wife, Rute Cardoso, and their three children are expected to attend Friday’s curtain-raiser at Anfield.
In his programme notes ahead of the game, Liverpool manager Arne Slot wrote: "As I have said previously, the tributes that have been paid throughout the football world, and especially within the LFC community, have been truly special, and I know that tonight we will come together to honour them once more.
"I believe that Diogo's wife, his children and his family will be in attendance and it is important that, as a club, we show that they will always have our love and support as they deal with this most tragic of situations. We are there for them always."