Liverpool head coach Arne Slot and captain Virgil van Dijk led the club's tributes to Diogo Jota after their teammate died in a car crash in Spain along with his younger brother.
Spanish Guardia Civil confirmed the deaths of Portugal striker Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva, 25, after the car they were driving veered off the road near the town of Zamora, north-western Spain, and burst into flames.
Jota contributed six goals as Liverpool clinched a record-equaling 20th English title in 2024/25, Slot's first season in charge at Anfield.
The Dutchman said everyone at the club was in “absolute shock” at the news of Jota's death.
“What to say? What can anyone say at a time like this when the shock and the pain is so incredibly raw? I wish I had the words, but I know I do not,” Slot wrote in a personal statement published on the club’s website.
“All I have are feelings that I know so many people will share about a person and a player we loved dearly and a family we care so much about.
“For us as a club, the sense of shock is absolute. Diogo was not just our player. He was a loved one to all of us. He was a teammate, a colleague, a workmate and in all of those roles he was very special.
“We need everyone at the club to stand together and to be there for one another. We owe this to Diogo, to Andre Silva, to their wider family and to ourselves.”
According to reports, Jota was returning to England for pre-season training next week via ferry after being advised not to fly following minor surgery.
He had only recently married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso in Porto. The couple had three children.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said on Instagram he was “absolutely devastated and in total disbelief.”
The Dutch defender wrote in a post alongside a picture of Jota with the Premier League trophy: “What a human being, what a player, but most importantly what an unbelievable family man.
“You meant so much to all of us and you always will! For your family to lose two sons, a husband and a father is just unimaginable. So cruel and unfair.
“My heart is breaking for all of your beautiful family, for Rute and for your kids. I promise you that in these difficult times and beyond we will always be there for your family.
“A champion forever, number 20 forever. It’s been a privilege to have stood by your side on the pitch, and to have been your friend off it.
“We will miss you beyond words and never forget you. Your legacy will live on, we will make sure of it! Rest in perfect peace Diogo & Andre.”
Liverpool Football Club have opened physical and digital books of condolence for supporters to pay tribute to Jota, who joined the club in 2020 from Wolves for €44.7 million.
Fans flocked to Anfield on Thursday to lay scarves, wreaths and other tributes to a player who scored 65 goals in 182 appearances for the club, winning the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup during his five-year stay on Merseyside.
Flags have been lowered to half-mast at Anfield, the club said on its website. All club stores, museums and tours have been closed until Monday July 7 and staff have been offered wellbeing support, should they need it, a statement read.
Mourners are set to gather to honour Jota at a wake in Portugal on Friday morning, a local parish priest has said.
Jose Manuel Macedo, parish priest at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar in Sao Cosme, told the PA news agency in a translated message that a wake for the brothers will take place at 8am at the nearby Capela da Ressurreicao before their funeral at the Igreja Matriz on Saturday at 10am.
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admitted he is struggling to comprehend Jota’s death.
Klopp, for whom his Christian faith has played a big part in his life, wrote on Instagram: “This is a moment where I struggle! There must be a bigger purpose! But I can’t see it!”
The German coach, who signed Jota from Wolves in 2020, added: “I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of Diogo and his brother Andre.
“Diogo was not only a fantastic player, but also a great friend, a loving and caring husband and father.”
Liverpool have been marred by tragedy since clinching last season's Premier League trophy.
Seventy-nine people were injured on May 26 when a car ploughed into a packed crowd celebrating Liverpool's title triumph during a victory parade.
Merseyside Police arrested Paul Doyle, a 53-year-old former Royal Marine, over the incident. He appeared in court on May 30 facing seven charges including wounding and causing grievous bodily harm.
May 29 marked the 40-year anniversary of the Heysal Disaster, where 39 people died before the European Cup final in Brussels between Liverpool and Italian club Juventus.
