Diogo Jota tragically died 44 days before Liverpool’s opening game of the new Premier League season last month, after which Mo Salah broke down in tears as the crowd chanted his former team-mate’s name
Mo Salah has opened up on the moment he broke down front of the Kop End following the death of Diogo Jota. Liverpool superstar Salah was in tears after the Reds’ dramatic 4-2 win against Bournemouth on the opening night of the new Premier League season last month.
The match came just 44 days after team-mate Jota tragically died aged 28 alongside his younger brother, Andre Silva, in a single-car collision in northwest Spain on July 3. Salah scored Liverpool’s fourth goal to seal their victory over Bournemouth and after full-time, he followed his usual routine of applauding the home supporters at Anfield.
But when the Egyptian approached the Kop, he began to tear up. That’s because the crowd were chanting Jota’s name to round off an emotionally charged night.
In a candid interview with the Men In Blazers podcast, Salah revealed how he became overwhelmed with emotion and was unable to hold back his tears in front of the crowd. «It was quite tricky for me because I didn’t prepare myself for that,» the 33-year-old explained.
«Usually, I clap for the fans after the game to tell them, like, thank you for coming for the game. But then once I stood in front of the Kop, they were singing for Diogo.
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«Then my emotions came and in my mind (I was thinking about him). Then you just (try) to handle it. But then you can see, many people in a Kop also are like showing their emotions or what they feel. So then you start to break down a little bit.»
Salah had posted a poignant tribute to Jota on Instagram. The forward was present for all five of Jota’s years on Merseyside and their chemistry on the pitch translated to being friends off it.
«I am truly lost for words,» Salah wrote. «Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break.
«Team mates come and go but not like this. It’s going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won’t be there when we go back. My thoughts are with his wife, his children, and of course his parents who suddenly lost their children.
«Those close to Diogo and his brother Andre need all the support they can get. They will never be forgotten.»
Liverpool retired the No.20 shirt at all levels, including in their women’s and academy teams, in memory of Jota. The Portuguese is survived by wife Rute, who he married in June, and their three children.
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