Mohamed Salah, the Liverpool forward, has expressed that it will be “very hard to accept” the passing of his teammate Diogo Jota.
Jota, who was 28, tragically lost his life in a car accident along with his 25-year-old brother, Andre Silva.
“I am truly at a loss for words,” Salah stated, having joined Liverpool in the summer of 2017.
“Until yesterday, I never imagined anything could make me dread returning to Liverpool after the break. Teammates come and go, but not like this.
“It will be incredibly difficult to come to terms with the fact that Diogo won’t be there when we return.
“My thoughts are with his wife, children, and, of course, his parents, who have suddenly lost their children.
Those who were close to Diogo and Andre need all the support they can get. They will never be forgotten.”
According to the Guardia Civil, both men passed away around 12:30 AM local time on Thursday.
Jota was returning to Liverpool for pre-season training and, following medical advice against flying due to recent minor surgery, was traveling by car and ferry.
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Just 11 days before the tragic accident, he married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso, with whom he had three children.
Several Liverpool players were expected to return on Friday from their summer break for initial fitness tests at the club’s training facility, but this has been postponed, and players will now return in phases starting Monday.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot’s team is scheduled to play their first pre-season match against Preston North End on Sunday, July 13.
Former Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher also honored Jota, calling him “one of my closest friends in football.”
“We connected over everything, especially sports, and often watched any football match we could find—frequently your brother Andre’s games on your iPad,” Kelleher recalled.
“I was surprised that a guy from Portugal enjoyed sports like darts, snooker, and horse racing so much, and some of my best memories are of us laughing while watching them together.
“This will hurt for a long time, and I will miss you greatly, but I feel fortunate to have known you and to have had such a good friend.”
A vigil for Jota and Silva will take place at the Chapel of Resurrection in their hometown of Gondomar on Friday, followed by a funeral service at 10:00 AM on Saturday at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar.
Locals and fans have been paying their respects to Jota outside the football academy in Gondomar, where he trained from ages nine to 17.
The academy is named after him, and a photo shows Jota as a child wearing both the Portugal national team colors and the yellow of his hometown club.
Tributes have also been made at Liverpool and his former club Wolves, which he left in 2020 to join the Reds.
Liverpool has established a book of condolences in the reception area of the Anfield Road Stand, and an online version of the book is also available for fans around the world.