Preston Vs Liverpool Friendship Match: A Touching Honor For Diogo Jota

JAKARTA - Liverpool's players, staff and supporters and Preston North End paid tribute to Diogo Jota in their pre-season friendly on Sunday, July 13, 2025, local time.

The match, which Liverpool won 3-1, was the first match of Merseyside's club since 28-year-old Jota and his 25-year-old brother Andre Silva died in a car crash near Zamora, Spain on July 3, 2025.

In the emotional afternoon, Preston captain Ben Whiteman laid a wreath in front of Liverpool supporters who came before the song You'll Never Walk Alone was sung ahead of kick-off.

The two teams then entered the field wearing black armbands before a moment of silence to commemorate the two brothers.

Preston also created a special match program to commemorate the importance of the match. Liverpool have retired Jota's number 20 jersey in honor of him.

Several senior Liverpool players, such as Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson, who are part of a club that attended Jota's funeral in Portugal last week, were absent from the squad of matches as they continued to build fitness ahead of the new Premier League season. They watched from the stands in Deepdale.

Mohamed Salah captained Liverpool, while goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, Jeremie Frimpong, and Milos Kerkez made their first appearance for the club.

Goals from Conor Bradley, Darwin Nunez, and Cody Gakpo gave Liverpool a proper win, with Nunez imitating Jota's celebration in the video game after scoring in the 53rd minute.

When the game was over, Liverpool's players and coaches gathered in front of the away stands while the fans sang Jota's name.

Ahead of the match, Liverpool coach Arne Slot said his team had difficulty getting back to work after Jota's death, so he advised the players that perhaps the best way to go is to follow the brilliant example of their late teammates.

"First of all, this has had a huge impact on us, but nothing compared to the loss felt by his parents, wife, route, children, and other family."

"The first feeling we all feel is sadness. The second feeling that comes to my mind is pride."

"I think his parents and Route could be very proud of the player, especially his personality. I have spoken to many of his teammates, I have spoken to many staff members, and they all admired him very much and said how good he was."

"That he has always been himself. So, they (Jota's family) should be very proud if they can hear what all teammates and staff will say about him."

"Secondly, I think our fans can be very proud of the players we have at this club."

"They've seen the team win the league, it's a great achievement. However, what they did last week with the togetherness they had, how they behaved when we were in Portugal together, the fans couldn't ask more of our players in terms of how great they are as humans."

"Those are two emotions. Of course, the first emotions, sadness, are much stronger than the proud emotions. However, they are both," said Arne Slot.

The Dutch coach further emphasized the need for the players to feel what it's like to play football again while continuing to process their sadness.

"It doesn't feel like it's important if we think about what happened. However, we are a football club. We need to practice and play again, whether we want or not."

"What I have said to the players, I can also say here. It's very difficult to find the right word because we are constantly arguing about what is appropriate."

"What is appropriate in our actions? What is appropriate for what we have to say? Can we practice again? Can we laugh again? Can we be angry if there is a wrong decision?"

"I've told them, maybe the best thing we can do is deal with this situation like Jota."

"What I mean is that Jota has always been herself, no matter whether she talks to me, with her teammates, with staff, she has always been herself."

"So let's try to be ourselves too. So, if we want to laugh, we laugh, if we want to cry, we will cry."

"If they want to train, they can train, if they don't want to train, they can't train. However, be yourself, don't think you should be different from what you say."

"Secondly, Jota is a player who if the situation is very, very, very difficult, I always look at her and say, now we need something special from you."

"He made it many times in those moments. I can imagine all those moments, even before I was here, he also had a lot of those moments."

"So, we are in a very difficult time. Let's try to do what Diogo did many times."

"If it is so difficult, try a little harder or keep fighting and try to make it all work," said Arne Slot.