Liverpool travelled to face Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League, but many fans of the Merseysiders spotted an emotional tribute to Diogo Jota from the home side
Liverpool’s Champions League opponent Eintracht Frankfurt paid a subtle, but poignant, tribute to the late Diogo Jota. The Merseysiders travelled to the 2022 Europa League winners for a huge match in their European campaign.
Plenty of focus had been paid to Slot’s team selection, with the likes of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Mohamed Salah struggling. Many Reds fans were stunned when they saw Salah was dropped to the bench for the match.
But as they looked up to the giant, electric screen hanging from Deutsche Bank Park to see the rest of the substitutes, they were even more surprised to see Jota, who was killed in a car crash alongside his brother Andre Silva on July 3, was included amongst the substitutes in an emotional tribute to the ex-Liverpool forward.
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He and his number 20 squad number were highlighted in turquoise on the big screen, while the rest of the Liverpool substitutes were in white text. It’s the latest tribute which has been paid to Jota and his brother, who were 28 and 25 respectively when they died in the crash in Zamora, Spain.
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp recently made another emotional tribute to the Portuguese international in an interview on the Diary of a CEO podcast. The German said: «I cannot imagine the dressing room right now without him being there. That’s for the boys as well. Nobody at Liverpool will ever use it as an excuse.
«He was so close with James Milner, very close with Kostas Tsimiskas, that’s moon and mars. Dealing with it on a personal level. Impossible. I got a message in the morning that it was bad news, from a friend from Liverpool and I couldn’t believe it.
«It was not possible. I heard it, know what it means. I saw all the pictures from the wedding and the boys were there. I know exactly where I was and how long I sat there without speaking a word.
«It’s exactly like a family member. It’s an example of the things you have to deal with without knowing at all. You cannot be prepared… you have to sort things you hadn’t expected. I was impressed with his presence, a very special young man.»
Liverpool went on to overcome Frankfurt in dominant fashion to end a run of four consecutive losses. At one point, it looked like Arne Slot’s side’s losing streak was going to be extended to five games, after Rasmus Kristensen gave the home side the lead.
However, the Reds responded in emphatic fashion. Hugo Ekitike equalised before Virgil van Dijk headed the Reds in front three minutes later. His defensive partner Ibrahima Konate then added a goal of his own on the stroke of half time to put Liverpool in control.
To ensure there was no doubt, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai added goals in the second half to give Liverpool a desperately needed 5-1 victory over the Bundesliga side. The Reds’ European campaign was knocked off course by a 1-0 loss to Galatasaray in their last match.
But victory ensured they moved up to 10th, where they have six points. Liverpool travel to Brentford on the weekend, where they will also be looking to end a run of three consecutive Premier League losses.
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