Following the news of Portugal and Liverpool FC winger Diogo Jota’s tragic passing in a car accident overnight on Thursday, the initial shock was followed by increasing demands from the fans to retire his number 20 jersey amid mourning over his loss.
Now, Liverpool FC is saying that their number 20 will be “rightly immortalised” for the role he played at the club since his arrival in 2020.
“The No.20 will be rightly immortalised for his contributions as part of Liverpool’s 2024-25 title-winners – the club’s 20th – with his trademark shimmy and strike in front of the Kop to seal victory in April’s Merseyside derby a poignant last goal of his life,” the club said in an homage on its website on Thursday evening.
The diminutive Portuguese ace has died in a crash on the Spanish A-52 highway near Sanabria in the province of Zamora, after a tyre on his Lamborghini Urus SUV blew out while overtaking another vehicle.
Jota’s vehicle veered off the road and caught on fire, according to authorities and media reports.
The Portuguese international’s brother André Silva — himself a footballer who played for Liga Portugal 2 side Penafiel — was with Jota in the Lamborghini and also died at the scene, according to authorities.
The latest reports said that the two brothers were on their way to Santander to catch a ferry to England, where Jota was supposed to rejoin his team for preseason training, after he was advised not to travel by plane following lung surgery.
‘Wore number 20, won us number 20’
Liverpool FC issued a brief statement after the news of Jota’s death became public, saying they were “devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota.”
“Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request the privacy of Diogo and Andre’s family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss.”
“We will continue to provide them with our full support,” the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, Liverpool fans have gathered outside the club’s Anfield stadium to lay flowers and scarves in memory of Jota.
Supporters have further taken to social media to demand that Liverpool FC retire his number 20 shirt, in what they believe would be a symbolic gesture of ultimate significance given his importance to the club.
“Football is the most unimportant thing right now, but I hope Liverpool retire number 20,” user Maxi said on X.
“It would feel wrong for most supporters seeing anyone else wear it after the tragic loss of Diogo Jota – but mainly as a sign of respect and gratitude for everything he did and who he was.”
“Diogo Jota joined Liverpool in 2020. He wore the number 20 shirt,” another fan, Micky Jnr, said on the same platform. “And in the season Liverpool won their 20th league title, we lose him.”
“Maybe… just maybe… the club should retire that number in his honour. Forever 20.”
Since arriving from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020, Diogo Jota scored 182 goals and added 65 further assists for Liverpool, mostly deployed on the left wing or as a false nine.
The English Premier League giant, which won its 20th title this year, has not retired any shirt numbers in its 133-year history.
Liverpool FC manager Arne Slot wrote a poignant letter on Thursday, saying, “For us as a club, the sense of shock is absolute.”
“My first thoughts are not those of a football manager. They are of a father, a son, a brother and an uncle and they belong to the family of Diogo and Andre Silva who have experienced such an unimaginable loss,” Slot said.
“My message to them is very clear – you will never walk alone. The players, the staff, the supporters of Liverpool Football Club are all with you and from what I have seen today, the same can be said of the wider family of football.”
“Diogo was not just our player. He was a loved one to all of us. He was a teammate, a colleague, a workmate and in all of those roles he was very special,” Slot pointed out in a written statement published on the team’s website.
Jota’s former manager at Liverpool, German coach Jürgen Klopp, took to Instagram to express his disbelief at the news of Jota’s passing.
“This is a moment where I struggle,” Klopp said. “There must be a bigger purpose (…) But I can’t see it.”
“I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of Diogo and his brother André.”
“Diogo was not only a fantastic player, but also a great friend, a loving and caring husband and father,” Klopp recalled. “We will miss you so much.”
Diogo Jota is survived by his long-time partner Rute Cardoso, whom he married less than two weeks ago on 22 June, and their three children.
