Mohamed Salah has revealed that the tragic death of his Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota in a car crash has left him deeply shaken, admitting he feels “frightened” to return to the club following the off-season break.
Jota, along with his younger brother Andre Silva, died in a fatal accident in the early hours of Thursday when their car veered off a motorway in Spain and caught fire.
In Portugal, mourners gathered on Friday for a wake ahead of the funeral service for the two brothers, scheduled for Saturday.
The heartbreaking loss has stunned the Liverpool squad. Club captain Virgil van Dijk shared his grief in an emotional Instagram post, saying he was “absolutely devastated and in total disbelief”.
Liverpool’s newly appointed manager, Arne Slot, expressed the unity within the club during this painful time, stating that everyone connected to Liverpool must “stand together and be there for one another”.
Salah, the Egyptian international and last season’s Premier League top scorer, paid a heartfelt tribute to Jota on Friday.
“I am truly lost for words,” Salah posted on Instagram. “Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break.
“Teammates 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.”
Jota had only recently celebrated a personal milestone, marrying his longtime partner Rute Cardoso on June 22. Hours before the crash, he shared a video of their wedding on Instagram. The couple shared three children.
In light of the tragedy, Liverpool has postponed the scheduled return of players for pre-season fitness assessments, initially set for Friday, until Monday.
The Reds’ first pre-season friendly is set for July 13 against Preston.
To honour Jota’s memory, the club has lowered flags at Anfield to half-mast and opened a book of condolence.
Supporters have gathered outside the stadium, leaving floral tributes, scarves, and shirts at a growing memorial. Similar scenes have emerged outside Wolves’ Molineux Stadium, where Jota previously played.
The football world continues to reel from the sudden loss of the Portuguese forward, whose impact at Liverpool and beyond was deeply felt.
