Dead Football stars 2025: Will Liverpool face a Jota tauma?

The death of Diogo Jota has shocked the football world this summer. The forward of the FC Liverpool tragically died in a car accident in Spain on July 3, 2025, along with his brother André Silva, who was four years younger. Since then, nothing at Anfield has been the same. Liverpool stands united; the global football family stands together. “You’ll never walk alone” – far more than a beer-soaked phrase. But how will FC Liverpool approach the new season after Diogo Jota’s passing?

“He’ll never walk alone – the mood will be sad, heavy, indeed bleak, when the professionals of FC Liverpool return from holiday this Monday and Tuesday,” wrote the legendary England correspondent Keir Radnedge, whom I have known for many years, on July 7, 2025, in Kicker-Sportmagazin, “the fatal accident of their teammate Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva last Sunday has stopped time in Anfield and caused widespread consternation.”

Also affected is the man who brought Jota to Liverpool in 2020, Jürgen Klopp. “There must be a deeper meaning,” Klopp said after Jota’s death, “but I don’t see it.” 

The first match following Diogo Jota’s death will be entirely dedicated to commemorating the Portuguese international.

When Liverpool Football Club returns on July 13, 2025, at Deepdale stadium against Preston North End after one of the saddest summer breaks in the club’s history, “You’ll never walk alone” will be played in Jota’s honor. 

Supporters of Preston North End (PNE) and FC Liverpool will lay wreaths together for Diogo Jota. Preston North End will also publish a special edition of their matchday program, and the game will be broadcast free of charge via YouTube and social media channels. 

These are moments that will remain. Just like the images of countless jerseys, candles, and flowers in front of Anfield Stadium and Molineux in Wolverhampton, where Jota played until his transfer to FC Liverpool in 2020. 

Emotionally, the completely devastated former Liverpool captain Jordan “Hendo” Henderson was also moved during the tribute to his former teammate at Anfield.

When England mourns… The accident death of Diogo Jota also touched the Britpop band Oasis from Manchester. The band, originally founded by brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, ignored all Manchester–Liverpool rivalries and during their reunion concert at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on July 5, 2025, in front of 75,000 fans, displayed a photo of Diogo Jota on the big screen during the performance of “Live Forever.” “That was absolute fair play by Oasis,” a concertgoer told the BBC.

Diogo Jota’s family – Liverpool shows generosity

Fair play – that applied to FC Liverpool in Diogo Jota’s case as well. The club decided after Jota’s death that his jersey number 20 will never be reissued. A symbolic gesture of appreciation for the late 2025 English champion, who had been able to celebrate the UEFA Nations League title with Portugal in Munich in early June with the national team. 

On June 22, 2025, Diogo Jota married his childhood sweetheart Rute Cardoso. FC Liverpool will continue to pay his widow, who is left with their three young children, his weekly salary of approximately €170,000 until his contract ends in June 2027. That is truly grand. 

Diogo Jota’s funeral: when football stars cry…

Liverpool’s €125 million signing Florian Wirtz had not yet played for his new club. 

But the young German experienced first‑hand on Anfield Road what it means when “The Reds” mourn one of their own, and he visibly placed a red rose for the late Diogo Jota. The entire squad came to Anfield for the memorial and also traveled to the funeral of Diogo Jota and André Silva on July 5, 2025, in Gondomar near Porto (Portugal). Captain Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson carried wreaths bearing the jersey numbers of Jota and André Silva (who played at Penafiel), 20 and 30. 

Also in attendance were Portuguese national coach Roberto Martinez, former Liverpool players Henderson, James “Milo” Milner and Abel Xavier, as well as former Premier League coach Andre Villas-Boas.

Why did Diogo Jota need lung surgery?

How did the tragedy unfold? Diogo Jota and his brother were traveling by car to England because doctors advised against flying after a lung surgery (pneumothorax) that left part of a lung collapsed. Five hours before departure, Jota was treated by a physiotherapist named Miguel Goncalves.

“I started working with him last Saturday and was with him every day until this Wednesday,” Goncalves told the Portuguese sports newspaper Record.

How fast was Diogo Jota driving when he crashed?

Jota and his brother died near the Spanish town of Palacios de Sanabria in the province of Zamora. They were reportedly driving at excessive speed. 

The Liverpool player was behind the wheel when his car veered off the road at 120 km/h following a tire blowout and caught fire. Jota and André Silva had no chance of survival. 

The findings of the Spanish police were later challenged by eyewitnesses. 

In which car did Diogo Jota die?

The brothers were traveling in a Lamborghini Huracán on their way to England. 

The vehicle reportedly rolled near the town of Cernadilla before bursting into flames. 

And I’ll tell you candidly: since I’ve been associated with FC Liverpool (1981), since I’ve been writing about the Reds since 2002, with every moment of glory, with every title win, the emotional memories of the many victims football fate has claimed at this club come flooding back.   

What tragedies has FC Liverpool experienced?

Like in Brussels, when at the Heysel Stadium a crush triggered by Liverpool fans before the European Cup final against Juventus Turin (1–0) on May 29, 1985, led to a mass panic and 39 fatalities. 

English clubs were subsequently banned from European competition by UEFA for five years. 

On April 15, 1989, FC Liverpool lost 97 supporters, as later discovered, when too many fans were pressed into Hillsborough Stadium before the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest in Sheffield. 

Since 2009 I’ve repeatedly interviewed survivors and relatives of the victims of this stadium disaster, recalled the tragedy, tried to make the incomprehensible tangible. With lasting impressions. 

When I sometimes hear the re-recorded version of “Ferry Cross the Mersey” by Gerry & the Pacemakers with world stars from Liverpool like Sir Paul McCartney and Holly Johnson, I’m overcome by the same emotions as back then. 

Liverpool emerged stronger from this incredible and long unresolved tragedy in 1989 – “The Reds” showed remarkable composure four weeks after the disaster in the FA Cup final, acted highly professionally, and defeated city and arch‐rival FC Everton 3–2 in extra time through a goal by record‐scorer Ian Rush. 

Death of Diogo Jota: “The pain will last a long time”

“Tragedies have welded this club together and from it the club became strong,” former Liverpool player Dietmar Hamann told SPORT BILD (issue 28/2025), “in northwest England it’s that once you touch people’s hearts, you remain one of them forever. That will be the case with Jota too.”

I believe that too, dear Didi. 

And I see it similarly to Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, now playing for Brentford: “The pain will last a long time.”