Article by Cosmin Nistor – Published Friday, December 26, 2025 9:47 p.m. / Updated Friday, December 26, 2025 10:07 p.m.
Liverpool receives at Anfield the visit of the Wolverhampton Saturday, December 27, from 5:00 p.m. Virgil van Dijk (34) spoke openly about his death Diogo Jotain an emotional testimony that shows how deeply the tragedy affected his dressing room Liverpool and the captain of the “cormorants.”
The duel between Liverpool and Wolverhampton brings together the only two teams in England for which the Portuguese international played, and is the first direct match played since the tragic event.
Van Dijk on man Diogo Jota: “He was an incredible person”
“Diogo meant a lot to me, to the team, to the club. I think this is pretty obvious, first of all, as a person. He was an incredible person.
By his way of being and behaving, he didn't even look like he was Portuguese. The boys said he was rather Scottish, McJota!”
The “Cormorants” captain continued, emphasizing Jota's role within the team:
“He was a hard worker, always put the team first, gave 100% whether he was playing or not. I told him many times that he could go past opponents like Luis Suarez.
I remember a goal he scored against Arsenal. He went past several players, the ball bounced to him and he scored. Luis had the same ability.
Diogo was always the one who motivated the others, who set the standard, who wanted to listen. As a person within the group, he was a very important figure.”
Moment Van Dijk learned the news: 'It's something I'll never forget'
Van Dijk told how he received the tragic news:
“I had just landed in the UK after a family holiday when I got the call. It's something I'll never forget, unfortunately. It was very, very difficult, very difficult to digest. It was a shock to the whole world.”
The Dutch captain highlighted the support offered by the club and the football world:
“In the coming months, you try to be the best version of yourself, to be present for the players, for the team, for the staff, but especially for Rute (no Jota's wife).
You want to make sure everyone is OK, her, the kids and Diogo's parents, and the club has done an incredible job so far.”
The football world in general has been incredible, obviously with him and Andre, and especially with the family. Everton were incredible, especially Seamus (no Coleman).”
“We remember Diogo every day”
Jota's absence is still present in the Liverpool dressing room:
“It is a fact that we remember what happened every day, because he is part of the club, he is part of our brotherhood.
I had a meeting with the team and I said that if anyone wants to talk about their emotions, how they feel, we are here and we will always be here.”
How Diogo Jota's legacy will be preserved
Van Dijk spoke about the responsibility to keep his memory alive:
“We want to honor his legacy, not just for one, two or three years. He must be remembered forever and that is something we will discuss with the club.
We have his locker here at the training center, we have his locker in the stadium. The stadium memorial is on its way.
But I think we can do a lot more to remember him, and that's something that myself and the more experienced players will take on.”
The “cormorants” captain spoke about the fans' tribute: “Diogo would have wanted us to be successful”
About the fans' tribute, Van Dijk explained:
“We talked about it and we're in a phase where it doesn't affect us anymore. It's clearly a sign of respect from our fans.
Diogo would have wanted us to be successful, he would have wanted us to do things well, and that is the most important thing.
The fans sing only out of respect for Diogo, because he deserves it,” Van Dijk said in an interview with The Times.
The summer tragedy that rocked football
Diogo Jota died on July 3, following a road accident at around 01:40 (Romanian time), near the town of Palacios de Sanabria, Zamora province, Spain.
The car exited the scenery at kilometer 65 of the A-52 highway and caught fire. In the vehicle was also his brother, Andre Silva, a 26-year-old footballer who played for Penafiel, in the second Portuguese league.
