Rafael Leao played alongside Diogo Jota in the Portugal national team and the AC Milan ace paid tribute to his former man and the inspiration he continues to provide for the national team.
Diogo Jota’s legacy lives on and the Portuguese side are determined to honor him
AC Milan and Portugal ace Rafael Leao has paid tribute to the man Diogo Jota, who continues to be an inspiration to the national team.
The striker tragically passed away in the summer, leaving everyone involved saddened by the shocking news. Jota was driving his Lamborghini through Zamora, Spain when a tire suddenly went flat, causing the car to veer off the road and die. His older brother also died in the incident.
The Portuguese ace had just won the Premier League title at Anfield and was loved by his team-mates at club and international. Leo revealed that Jota was a great listener and very generous, even taking the time to come to Milan and watch him.
In an interview with CBS, he said, “Everyone was worried about him, even if he was in the corner talking to his wife and kids. But he was a good teammate and always tried to help everyone, sometimes including me. Sometimes I would ask him for some things, and he once asked me for tickets for his family, to come to AC Milan to watch a game.”
Jota’s funeral in July was incredibly emotional, attended by his national team-mates Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Diaz, Bernardo Silva and Ruben Neves, as well as former Liverpool player Fabinho, Porto president Andre Villas-Boas and Portugal national team manager Roberto Martinez.
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Asked if his passing would be the driving force behind Portugal’s World Cup win, Leo said: “Every game we think about him. After the game he was always there, celebrating whether he could score or not. And every game we think about him.”
Leo and Jota were part of Portugal’s last World Cup squad, where they shocked Morocco in the last eight in Qatar. Although they have never won a World Cup, Jota’s accomplishments are a motivating factor for them and they have a chance to win in North America this summer.
Rafael Leao paid his own tribute to the Liverpool icon in pre-season
In pre-season, Leo paid his own tribute to Jota after scoring Milan’s opening goal against Liverpool. The Portuguese winger put the number 20 on his finger. It was a low-key celebration by the winger who wanted to pay tribute to his player.
This season, Liverpool players have had the Forever 20 emblem printed on their shirts and stadium jackets, a reference to Jota’s retired jersey number. The Portuguese star became the first player in Reds history to have his number retired following the tragedy.
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