Diogo Jota’s death has affected Liverpool’s players in many ways, and Virgil van Dijk spoke about the impact of his death ahead of the team’s match against the Portuguese’s former club Wolves.
Virgil van Dijk says Liverpool are “still coming to terms” with the tragic death of Diogo Jota. Jota, 28, died in a car crash in July along with his brother Andre Silva.
On Saturday, Portugal’s final two clubs, Liverpool and Wolves, will face off at Anfield in the Premier League. This will be the first time the two teams have played each other since the brothers’ deaths.
Jota’s wife Lute will also be attending the match, and his two sons Dinis and Duarte will also be walking with the players as mascots. In a classy tribute, Van Dijk dedicated part of his program notes to Jota and his family.
“Saturday will be our last game of 2025 and looking back on this year, everyone at the club has had a range of emotions,” the Liverpool captain said. “Of course, there were some incredibly high prices.
“It was incredible to be crowned Premier League champions, as we did in April. I can safely say that lifting the trophy in front of you at Anfield was a memory I will never forget. It was a real team effort and a well-deserved reward for a hard season’s efforts on and off the pitch.”
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“But soon after that came the most devastating downturn. The loss of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva in July was something no one could have ever prepared for and something we are all still trying to come to terms with.
“Our thoughts, as always, are with the families of Diogo and Andre. They will never, ever be forgotten and we will always carry their memory.”
Van Dijk continued: “Football-wise, this season has been mixed to say the least. We’ve seen a lot of changes in terms of the squad, with players leaving and new players coming in, but I think it’s fair to say we’re still not at our best in terms of consistency.”
“We’ve had some good games and some memorable wins, but we’ve had some really tough moments along the way and some very difficult games. Trust me when I say that as captain, I feel those tough moments more than anyone else.
“However, the focus now is solely on Saturday’s game against Wolverhampton Wanderers, where we will look to build on recent positive results and end the year on a high in front of the Anfield supporters.
“I know a lot of people will be watching this game and looking at our opponents’ position in the league table and expecting us to win, but we know it’s going to be a very tough game against a highly motivated team.”
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