Premier League Champions Liverpool have officially announced that the club’s jersey no 20 has been retired forever. In a very tragic road accident, Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva both lost their lives in Spain. The police reports have confirmed that one of the tires of the car suddenly blew out when Jota tried to do an overtake. The Lamborghini went off the road and immediately it caught fire. According to English media, Jota was going to reunite with his Liverpool teammates for the pre-season. But that reunion never happened. Spanish media, Marca, first broke this devastating news but football fans didn’t want to believe the news at all. After an hour, the Reds officially confirmed the death of Diogo after checking it with the Spanish police department. Hours later, Liverpool posted their decision to retire the jersey no 20 to respect Diogo Jota’s legacy in the club.
Liverpool’s Jersey No 20: The Lad Who Led Them to Victory
Diogo Jota once said in an interview that playing video games was something that helped him immensely to relax in his free time. Actually, during the COVID times, he used to stream his FIFA games. In a frivolous way, he once shared that he is a full-time gamer and a part-time footballer. ‘Gamer’ Jota flourished under Jurgen Klopp in Liverpool. Jota came and he conquered the hearts of Liverpool fans. Although Liverpool had an upfront of Salah, Mane and Firmino, Diogo Jota cracked the starting eleven. But he turned himself into a pure clutch player. Whenever Liverpool were trailing by goals, the jersey no 20 used to come from the bench and score those decisive goals. With his extraordinary ball control in tight spaces, Jota always found a place to score. That was the specialty that separated him from others. In the last 5 years, Liverpool has gone through many transitional phases, but one thing has remained constant. Liverpool’s jersey no 20 was always there to change the game. Diogo became so popular among the fans that they made a chant for him. Diogo didn’t upset his well-wishers. Ironically, he played a huge part in Liverpool’s 2024-25 Premier League win. He also won the UEFA Nations League with Portugal this June.
No One Will Put on the Jersey No 20 for Liverpool Again
When Liverpool bought Diogo Jota from Wolves, Roberto Firmino was already the jersey no 9 at Liverpool. A true gentleman both on and off the pitch, Jota happily put on the jersey no 20. Despite the departure of Firmino, Jota decided to continue donning the same jersey number on his back. A clinical box striker of the modern era, Diogo got more recognition from the fans. He made the jersey no 20 his own brand. Little did the football fans know that the number ’20’ would become a milestone in Liverpool’s history. Symbolically, he arrived at Liverpool in 2020. The dreamer from Gorboland, who only wished to play in the best league in the world, won his first Premier League title this season. This was the club’s 20th league title, also. Thus, Liverpool have decided to honour the legacy of Diogo Jota by ‘immortalising’ Jota’s jersey no 20. Fans all around the world have widely acknowledged this decision from the Merseyside club.
A Change of Plan That Became Fatal
Diogo and his brother tragically passed away in a road accident in Spain. The former Atletico Madrid forward was going to join the Liverpool camp for the pre-season. He was supposed to fly, but due to a recent lung surgery, the doctor forbade him from flying. He then decided to go by sea. Reports have ensured that this is why he was travelling towards the Port City of Santander. As mentioned earlier, police reports have claimed that one of his car’s tires blew out while overtaking another car. The Lamborghini veered off the road and crashed. The car caught on fire and that killed both of them. Meanwhile, the Spanish Government has treated the horrible accident as a result of over-speeding. But the actual speed of the Lamborghini is impossible to track. Several Spanish media have already identified the zone of the accident in very poor conditions with potholes.
Author’s Note
Clubs and players all over the world have been paying their last respects towards Diogo Jota. In the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup, players are wearing a black armband for Jota and Andre. This has gone beyond football as Wimbledon let Portuguese players, Francisco Cabral and Nuno Borges to wear a black ribbon in honour of Diogo. This horrible incident has shocked the whole world. Again, life has reminded humanity about the sheer uncertainty of living. Things can go wrong at any moment. Diogo Jota never had an undisciplined lifestyle, yet his life didn’t give him a second chance. That’s how cruel it can be. Diogo Jota hasn’t retired from football. He will be in the hearts of every football supporter. Liverpool’s jersey no 20, Diogo Jota, will always remain as one of the player for the history books.
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