Mohamed Salah has spoken about he and his Liverpool teammates dealing with the death of Diogo Jota, admitting that they will have to “express” their feelings from “time to time.”
Arne Slot and his players are still grieving Jota’s tragic passing alongside his brother Andre Silva on July 3, and that is not a linear or similar process for everyone.
Salah was in tears after the final whistle against Bournemouth last Friday night, with the Egyptian applauding the Kop as they sang in honour of their former striker.
Speaking to BBC Sport before winning the PFA Player of the Year award, Salah opened up about Jota’s death, saying there will be times when emotion gets the better of him and his colleagues.
“It was quite tricky with all of us, but I’m glad that we’ve handled it so far very well,” Salah said.
“We’ll just need to do our job, because in the end, life will carry on. We just have to focus on our goal and also express our feelings from time to time.
“But we just need to focus on our craft.”
It is easy to forget that Liverpool’s players are grieving the loss of not only a great teammate, but also a special friend – one who was loved by so many at the club.
To be tasked with competing at the same time is not going to be easy, with Jota to always be in the thoughts and minds of Slot and his players.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Friday, August 15, 2025: Liverpool supporters holding up a banner to pay tribute to Diogo Jota, who died in a car accident in July, on the Spion Kop before the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and AFC Bournemouth at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Salah, Slot and the rest of the squad will know that Jota wouldn’t want his death to affect them, though, and they must use their former colleague as inspiration for winning more trophies.
As for the supporters, Liverpool fans must accept that a drop in performance level and focus may only be natural at points throughout the season, with the Portuguese to be at the forefront of the players’ minds.
Individuals grieve at different times, with some suffering for longer periods than others, and it is so important that everyone remembers that they are, first and foremost, young men who have lost a dear friend in Jota.