Mohamed Salah says he feels “frightened” to return to Liverpool following the tragic death of teammate Diogo Jota, as the Premier League champions postponed the return of several players for pre-season training.
Jota, 28, and his younger brother, André Silva, died in the early hours of Thursday when their car veered off a motorway in northern Spain and burst into flames. The Portugal forward had recently married his long-time partner, Rute Cardoso, with whom he had three children. Just hours before the crash, he posted a video from their June 22 wedding on Instagram.
Mourners gathered in Portugal on Friday for a wake ahead of the brothers’ funeral, scheduled for Saturday.
The tragedy has deeply shaken the Liverpool squad. Captain Virgil van Dijk wrote on Instagram that he was “absolutely devastated and in total disbelief.” Manager Arne Slot urged the club and its supporters to “stand together and be there for one another.”
Salah, last season’s Premier League top scorer, paid tribute to Jota in an emotional Instagram post.
“I am truly lost for words,” he wrote. “Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me about going back to Liverpool after the break.
Teammates come and go, but not like this. It’s going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won’t be there when we return.
My thoughts are with his wife, his children, and of course his parents, who suddenly lost both sons. Those close to Diogo and his brother André need all the support they can get. They will never be forgotten.”
Outside Anfield, thousands of fans have gathered to pay tribute, leaving flowers, scarves, and shirts at a growing memorial for Jota. A similar outpouring of grief has emerged at Molineux Stadium, where he played for Wolves before moving to Liverpool.
Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, now with Ajax, also honoured Jota in a heartfelt Instagram post:
“‘Jots,’ it was a pleasure to share a pitch with you, but more importantly, a friendship. All the laughs we had off the pitch—taking pictures of me asleep on the bus and sending them to me later. You were always up for a laugh and a joy to be around.”
An Everton delegation, including forwards Beto and Youssef Chermiti, visited the Anfield memorial to lay wreaths and pay their respects.
Liverpool have opened a book of condolence and lowered flags at the stadium to half-mast. The club had scheduled the first group of players to return to the training complex on Friday for physical tests, but their return has now been postponed to Monday.
Liverpool’s pre-season opener was set for July 13 against Preston, but ticket sales have been suspended. In a statement, the club said:
“Ticket sales for this game have been suspended following the devastating passing of our men’s first-team player, Diogo Jota, and his brother, André Silva.”
AFP
