Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Liverpool, Diogo Jota, Premier League
Josh Lawless
Liverpool have announced a series of special tributes to Diogo Jota after the Portuguese forward's tragic passing earlier this month.
Jota and his younger brother Andre Silva died in a car accident in Zamora, northwestern Spain after the driven vehicle suffered a tyre blowout while overtaking.
Heartbreakingly, the tragedy came just weeks after Jota had married his childhood sweetheart Rute Cardoso, the mother of his three children.
The funeral for the brothers took place days later and was attended by Arne Slot and many of Jota's grieving Liverpool teammates, who had celebrated Premier League glory with him just months prior.
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Liverpool immediately moved to honour the former Wolves star by retiring the No.20 shirt at all levels of the club but they have now confirmed more permanent tributes to Jota.
As per an article on the club's website, the thousand tributes made up of scarves, shirts and artworks which made for a temporary memorial have been removed, stored and saved and the floral elements will be composted and used in flower beds at Anfield, AXA Training Centre and Melwood.
Other artefacts will be recycled and make up a memorial sculpture which will be situated outside Anfield in the future.
Liverpool are playing two games in Asia on their pre-season and the shirt worn by the English champions will contain a special patch with the words ‘Diogo J. 20’ in a wonderful remembrance.
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Furthermore, when Liverpool's all new Adidas kits are released on August 1, a ‘Forever 20’ emblem will be printed into player shirts and stadium jackets for the entire season.
Should fans want to pay their respects to Jota by having his name printed on the back of their shirts, they will still be able to do so and all the proceeds will go towards LFC foundation, the club's official charity which will set up a grassroots football programme in his name.
There will be floral tributes laid on the pitch at every one of Liverpool's pre-season fixtures and a minute silence will take place at the opening game of the season when Liverpool host Bournemouth on Friday 15 August.
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The club said "further details will be shared with supporters in due course" and thanked fans for "their continued support".
Liverpool take on AC Milan in Hong Kong before playing Yokohama F. Marinos at the Nissan Stadium prior to a double-header with Athletic Club on August 4 - six days before the Community Shield against Crystal Palace at Wembley.