The Premier League has announced that all top-flight games this weekend will begin with a minute’s silence to honour Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva.
The two Portuguese brothers died in a tragic car accident in Spain on July 3. Jota was just 28 years old.
The league consulted with Liverpool to decide the best way to pay tribute to the player who played a key role in Liverpool’s Premier League title win last season. Apart from the minute’s silence before kick-off, all players will wear black armbands, and stadium screens will show special tribute messages and images.
A similar tribute took place last Sunday during the Community Shield match between Liverpool and Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium. Wreaths were laid on the pitch, and a silence was observed.
However, a small group of Crystal Palace fans briefly broke the silence, which caused some reactions from other fans nearby. Liverpool’s head coach, Arne Slot, explained that the disturbance was not deliberate.
“I don’t believe it was planned or meant to be disrespectful,” Slot said. “Maybe the fan did not realise it was the minute of silence. Other Palace fans tried to quiet him down, which also made some noise. Our fans then reacted. I believe there was no bad intention, as many people worldwide have shown great respect for Diogo and André.”
Liverpool supporters honoured Jota with a heartfelt singing of You’ll Never Walk Alone as wreaths were brought out. Fans displayed a white banner featuring Jota’s image, his number 20, and the words “Diogo J.”
The wreaths were laid in the Liverpool end by club legend Ian Rush, Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish, and Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt. Fans from both teams stood to applaud as the brothers’ photos were shown on the big screens.
In a lasting tribute, Liverpool have retired Jota’s number 20 shirt as a mark of respect for the late forward.
