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“When people leave this world, normally we all say, ‘he was such a nice guy’. Diogo was really a nice guy.
“Three kids that stay without a dad, a young woman without her husband, the parents that lose both sons, it’s crazy. It’s difficult to understand. Maybe one day we will understand, but not now.”‘Always part of the Anfield family’ – Jose Mourinho pays beautiful tribute to Liverpool star Diogo Jota
Jose Mourinho paid a heartfelt tribute to Liverpool star Diogo Jota on the sidelines of the British Grand Prix. The football world has been left devastated by the tragic death of the Portugal international, who passed away in a fatal car crash in northern Spain on Thursday. The 28-year-old forward was travelling with his brother when their Lamborghini suffered a tyre failure, veered off the road and burst into flames.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Jota and his brother will be laid to rest on Saturday in Gondomar, their hometown in Portugal. A wave of tributes have poured in from across the football community, as players, coaches and fans alike grapple with the shock of losing a player who had reached the pinnacle of the sport and still had so much more to offer.
WHAT MOURINHO SAID
Among the many prominent figures to pay homage to Jota was his compatriot Mourinho. While speaking at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the Portuguese coach offered heartfelt words in memory of the late striker.
“When people leave this world, normally we all say ‘such a nice guy’. Diogo was really a nice guy,” Mourinho told Sky Sports.
“He had my agent [Jorge Mendes], so of course I knew a lot about him. And people in Liverpool know what I’m saying is true. He is a kid who nothing was easy for him, he had to fight to arrive where he arrived. Three kids without a dad, a young woman without her husband, the parents lose both sons…it’s crazy. It’s difficult to understand. Maybe one day we will understand but not now.”
A SOUL THAT STAYS FOREVER
The tragedy brought back painful memories for Mourinho, who recalled the death of Rui Filipe, a Porto midfielder, in a similar accident in 1994. At the time, Mourinho was serving as assistant to Bryan Robson.
“It happened with me many, many years ago when I was working at Porto with Mr Robson. One of our boys, a loved boy, died in a car crash,” he narrated.
“Instead of the boys suffering alone it was like the group suffered together and trying to fight for his memory. It was a boy Rui Filipe and we were champions, I think, for him. In Liverpool they’re going to suffer together. The club is a fantastic club. I think they are deciding to take away the shirt number 20. At Anfield he will always be part of the family and maybe they lose a player but maybe they win even more soul than what they have.”
Source:Goal