Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Filipe Teixeira da Silva tragically died in a car accident in Spain in July, leaving a gaping hole at Anfield with the Liverpool forward’s death.
Manager Jurgen Klopp has spoken candidly about the devastating loss of Diogo Jota. The Liverpool forward and his younger brother Andre Filipe Teixeira da Silva sadly passed away in a car accident in Spain earlier this year.
Jota, who joined the Reds from Wolves in September 2020 for £41m, shared a special bond with Klopp. During their time together at Anfield, they won the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, and also reached the UEFA Champions League final in 2022.
The Portugal international made 182 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 65 goals and providing 26 assists. Klopp opened up about Jota’s death in an interview on the Diary of a CEO podcast.
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“I can’t imagine a dressing room without him right now,” said the former Reds manager. “It’s also for the players. No one at Liverpool will use that as an excuse.
“He was very close to James Milner, he was very close to Kostas Tzimiskas. It’s like the moon and Mars. To deal with this on a personal level… it’s impossible. I got a message in the morning from a friend from Liverpool saying it was bad news and I couldn’t believe it.
“It couldn’t have been. I heard it and I knew what it meant. I saw all the wedding pictures and the boys were there… I know exactly where I was and how long I sat there without saying anything.
“It’s just like being part of the family. It’s just an example of something you have to deal with without knowing it at all. You’re never prepared for it… having to sort through the unexpected. I’m impressed with him. He’s a very special young man.”
Klopp will leave Liverpool in 2024, with Arne Slott taking over. The German, who went on to become Red Bull’s head of football operations, maintained strong relationships with many figures at the club, including Jota.
Speaking on the podcast, Klopp hinted that he could return to the Anfield hotseat at some point. The 58-year-old said: ‘I said I would never coach another team, another team in England.
“So, that means if it happens, it’s Liverpool. Theoretically it’s possible. I don’t know exactly. I love what I’m doing now. I don’t miss coaching. I’m a coach, not a player, it’s just different and I don’t miss it.”
“I don’t miss standing in the rain for two-and-a-half or three hours, I go to press conferences three times a week, I do 12 interviews a week. I don’t miss it. I don’t miss it.”
“I don’t miss being in the locker room because I didn’t do that often. I’ve coached 1,800 games, so I was in the locker room a lot, but it’s just a comfort and I don’t want to die in the locker room. It stinks!”
“I’m 58 years old. I’m old from your perspective, but not from the other side. That means I could make a decision in a few years. I don’t know. Should I make a decision today? I don’t coach anymore, but thank God I don’t have to.”
“I can see what the future holds, but right now I am working on a project that I really love, the people I work with, the club we are responsible for and the country it belongs to.”
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