Liverpool’s preseason friendliness against Athletic Bilbao have been suspended after the Reds-acclaimed Dio Gojota and his brother Andre Silva tragically lost their lives in a car accident in Spain in early July. The pair returned to the UK for pre-season training.
Throughout the preseason, Liverpool paid tribute to the brothers, which continued at Anfield on Monday evening.
Before the match began, Liverpool legend Phil Thompson and Bilbao President John Urialte placed wreaths in front of the KOP, with fans singing Jota’s popular chant.
As soon as the game began, Anfield echoed into another rendition of Jota’s song.
Play was stopped in the 20th minute of the match against Bilbao as both the team and coaching staff joined the fans with a minute of applause to honor Jota and Silva.
The tribute was made in 20 minutes to reflect Jota’s team number during his five-year stint at Liverpool. At that point, Arne Slot’s team was leading 2-0 thanks to early goals from Rio Ngumoha and Darwin Nunez.
Last month, Liverpool announced its decision to retire Jota numbers at all levels at the club in commemoration of the Portuguese player.
Liverpool recently revealed plans to build a sculpture outside Anfield in honor of Jota.
A unique fan mosaic and one minute of silence have also been organized for the opening Premier League match against AFC Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday, August 15th.
Additionally, a specially designed “Forever 20” emblem will be incorporated into the player’s new adidas kit and stadium jacket throughout next season.
