Liverpool Honors ‘Champion’ Diogo Jota in exchange for action at Preston

Diogo Jota was praised on Sunday ‘a champion’ by Liverpool manager Arne Slot when the Reds returned to the field for the first time since the death of the Portuguese in a pre-season.

Father of three Jota, who married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso 11 days before the accident, died on July 3 next to his brother Andre Silva after their car came off the road and erupted in flames in Northern Spain.

A interpretation of the national anthem of Liverpool «Youl Never Walk Alone» was played before the kick-off at Deepdale, and Preston captain Ben Whiteman laid a wreath for the road supporters.

A minute of silence was then observed and both teams wore black bracelets.

«I think I have comfort, is that he was champion in everything in the past month of his life,» said Slot in an interview prior to the game.

«A champion for his family, which is the most important and most important thing because he is married. A champion for his country because he won the Nations League with a country that he cared about so much, because he also wore the flag when we had parties. And of course a champion for us to win the Premier League,» he added.

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Mohamed Salah was one of the Liverpool-Starting line-up and captain for the day, while other first-team stars such as Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson were omitted from the play team, but were still present.

Several views of Jota’s song, who proclaims him to be better than Portugal -legend Figo, were eradicated by Liverpool’s supporters before a ball was even kicked.

In the crowd, flags decorated with «Forever Our Number 20» tribute to the man just outside Porto, who died at only 28.

Liverpool announced on Friday that the club will retire Jota’s number 20 in his memory.

Earlier this week, Slot and his wife joined various players in attending the tribute that Jota and his brother have appeared outside of Anfield.

«We will always wear it with us in our hearts, in our thoughts, wherever we go,» Slot added.

«Nothing seems to be important when we think of what happened. It is very difficult to find the right words because we constantly debate about what is appropriate. I said to them (the players), perhaps the best for us is to deal with this situation as Jota was. And what I meant that Jota was always.