Football mourns Diogo Jota | Tributes pour in for Liverpool’s number 20
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Welcome to Back Pages, bringing you everything you need to know about the biggest sports stories making the headlines in the morning's newspapers. I'm Dave Reed and joining me are the Athletics' Karl Anka and Andy Dunn from the Mirror. Welcome to you both.

A warm welcome to Carl and Andy. Let's start by taking a look at the Telegraph. Lots of tributes, lots of stories on the death of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva. This is the article from Jamie Carragher where he describes Jota as a truly humble superstar and Chris Bascom also inside the Telegraph.

writing in the morning that tragedy has a habit of shadowing the club like the cruelest of imposters. A nod to past devastating tragedies that have struck Liverpool Football Club. Karl, let's come to you first on this. It's been a shocking day. What has been your overriding feeling as this news unfolded today? No, it's been nothing short of a tragedy. I spent the early hours of this morning

Receiving the news and hoping, praying it wasn't true. I know the entire world of football has been devastated, floored by the news. And nothing but thoughts go out to Diogo and Andre's family. It's heartbreaking stuff. Yeah, and a lot of people have been talking about, obviously, the horrific circumstances of what has happened, but the impact that this will have on the family of Andre.

Diogo Jota and Andre Silva. Andy, what has been your thoughts seeing everything in the tributes today? You know, David, this is the saddest, the most heartbreaking story I've ever had to write about. Arnaud Slot said that in his beautiful tribute about words being powerless. That's what he said. And I felt that today. We all feel that. Straight away, you know, it's a tragedy that renders sport and football irrelevant.

I was writing about Diogo Jota, the footballer, because Diogo Jota, the footballer, was the only person I knew. But with every word that you write, you can't help thinking about Diogo Jota, the human being, Diogo Jota, the father, Diogo Jota, the son, Diogo Jota, the husband. But you said there about the family, and do you know what? The only hope is that the words that you've heard spoken today

The tributes that you've seen written and you will read in tomorrow's newspapers, the only hope is that one day they might even provide even a grain of solace to a family who are now going through unimaginable grief and sorrow. There have been lots of tributes on a slot. The Liverpool hierarchy have paid tribute, teammates as well. Karl, have you noticed any standout tributes today for you?

I'm not sure if stand-up is the correct word, but certainly Robertson's Instagram post definitely brought me to the verge of tears. Talking about how very, very recently, the last time you saw Diogo was at the best day of his, happiest day of his life, his wedding day. It's incredibly hard when a football back-page item becomes a front-page item. Diogo Jota was 28 years of age.

And there's been, I think, a fantastic tribute to him in the Guardian from Barney Rene and another fantastic tribute written by Rory Smith in The Observer. Rory Smith says, you're only truly forgotten when all of the ripples you have left stop.

And the thing about Diogo Jota is those ripples aren't going to stop for a very, very long time. Something that's also been echoed by Ruben Neves' tribute as well. I think it speaks to the strength and depth of his character and his humanity. There have been so many tributes, not just from Liverpool, but from Wolverhampton Wanderers, from Porto, from his original clubs as well. You're seeing fans from all across the world come and mourn this phenomenal human being.

Let's talk about that human being because Jamie Carragher says he was a truly humble superstar and that's been a lot of the messaging today, Andy, hasn't it? The fact that he was unassuming, I guess a little bit like what he was on the pitch. You almost had so many superstars at Liverpool that perhaps he wasn't front and centre, but no less a major part of that team.

Absolutely, and I mentioned that I could only write about Diogo Jota, the footballer, because I didn't know Diogo Jota, the person. Tragically, tragically, within hours, I knew Diogo Jota, the person, from those tributes that you've detailed there. I know Diogo Jota now, how he was, how he was humble, how he embraced Liverpool, how he was compassionate.

I know all these things now from the Andy Robertson tribute that Carl mentioned, Slott's wonderful tribute, Jurgen Klopp's wonderful tributes, all of them gave me a picture of the man that I didn't know. And that's what makes it all the more tragic. And what comes across, you're exactly right, is a guy who was unassuming, uncomplicated,

loved his teammates, his football, his friends, his family. And that comes across in every tribute that you read. And in every tribute that you read, you also get the sense from within the club, you get the sense of unimaginable grief from within the club that made him what he was there. And he was one of Liverpool's own. And that's what comes across in every tribute that you read.

Yeah, we understand there will be a wake on Friday afternoon to remember Diogo Jota. It'll take place in Gondimarnia, Porto in Portugal, where the funeral will then take place on Saturday. So many tributes. Jurgen Klopp's one stands out on a slot as well, saying they've lost a special human being.

Your outlet as well, Carl, in The Athletic, Tim Spears has written a lovely piece about how Diego Jota made him cry for the first and maybe only time Tim Spears has cried, Carl. Tim Spears is a...

wonderful human being and he speaks quite eloquently about a goal Jota scores against Manchester United when Wolves were reaching the deep making a deep run in the FA Cup one thing he mentions there about Jota that sticks out was he said he's he was deceptively strong for his build and I think that

speaks a lot to his character. He was quite unassuming on the football field. He was deceptively good in the air. He was deceptively strong for his build. He had an uncanny ability to make the ball stick. And he was deceptively smart. He was deceptively kind. This is a human being who would score goals and every now and again sit down, cross his legs and imitate playing a computer game. He was...

He was a grown-up, but he also enjoyed the childlike joys of life. He absolutely loved family. He knew he was living many people's dream in being a football player, but he also understood that there are many more important things to life than football. And he was a fantastic father, a fantastic partner,

and husband, albeit he was not a husband for too long, and he will be sorely missed. Let's talk about Diogo Jota as a player then, Andy. Were there any favourite moments or moment that stands out for you? Yes, there were. And Diogo Jota, the footballer, I think it's so important that we do...

Remember what a great player he was. At this time, it's right, it's absolutely right that a tragedy like this puts football into perspective. Carl's just said there, football doesn't matter in these circumstances. However...

Football brought incredible joy to Diogo Jota and Diogo Jota brought incredible joy to fans through football. He loved football, you know, and we loved him in the sense that football loved him. And the way he played, he played with that. You know, the goal, one of the goals that I remember distinctly was a flicked finish in front of the Kop. I think it was 2000 in March 2021 against Manchester United taking the lead.

And his back-heeled finish that equalised and then Liverpool went on to win 4-2 in front of the Kop, sort of typified him. He had that impudence, the absolute impudence in his finishing. I remember, I think it was, it may well have been actually Jamie Carragher who considered him the best finisher at the club. And that is the type of finish...

And that was what he was all about, improvised. But then again, Carl referenced it. He was, I always think of Diogo Jota. I know he was a brilliant player, but I just can't put my finger on exactly why he was a brilliant player because he was so good at so many things. Again, Carl's reference, he was good in the air. His passing was excellent. He could play across a range of positions. It's why I think Klopp, again, who paid that wonderful tribute,

It's why Klopp considered him to be one of his most important signings. He was that type of player. And he didn't get the limelight, but then maybe he didn't particularly want that limelight. He just wanted to do what he could for the team. And that's at Liverpool and that's at Wolves. And don't forget, this is a guy who didn't come through in his early days, one of the powerhouses of Portuguese football. He played for his local club until he was 16. He came through, you know, the tough way.

And as Karl again said, fulfilled a dream, but also was a player who just gave his all for the team and never wanted the adulation, but deserved it. And what about for you, Karl? Any standout moments, any favourite moments that you'll remember? Oh, there's a...

There's a song my friend Myra and I like to send back and forth to each other and it goes, I do things proper, I'm clinical like Diogo Jota. It's not the song that Olivia Pudlians sing for Jota, but it was just one of those jokes we had back and forth and I'm not even a Liverpool fan. In terms of a goal that sticks out, it's probably his late winner,

Over Tottenham Hotspur two seasons ago, the game where it looked as if Liverpool were throwing away a three-nil lead for Tottenham to equalise, make it 3-3, and then it's a long ball and Jota just sort of snaps an interception and before everyone knows what's going on, he's put the ball in the back of the net.

He... It's very, very hard to make football look easy, but he had a way of doing that, particularly in the final third. He was a statistical darling for the people that like data and analytics and XG. There was the inside joke that Jota's shot maps were a work of art because he was so good in and around the six-yard box. And there was just a way of... When the ball was pinballing around the penalty area, Jota had a way of making the ball stick. He was...

Yeah, he had a childlike smile to him, but he had a real sort of mature presence in the penalty area. And it's a shame that injury meant he couldn't play as much for Liverpool as perhaps Jurgen Klopp or Arne Slot wanted. You think about the last goal he scored for Liverpool, it was against Everton. And it was quite a goal. It was vintage Joko Jota.

A couple of great moments there. Thank you very much for picking those out. In terms of looking ahead as to how Liverpool might well pay tribute to Diogo Jota, Andy, what kind of tribute could there be for him? The tribute is for, as Virgil van Dijk has said...

as countless players have said today, is for them to be the great Liverpool that they were when he was in the team. You know, that's the broader tribute and that will happen. Slot said, on the slot said today, that, you know, they will, they will ensure his legacy, his legacy lives. Now is the time for mourning and, of course, he's right. But in the future, you know, Chris Baskin, the telegraph you mentioned, touched on,

on the tragedies that Liverpool have suffered. And through them all, the club has been never anything less than hugely dignified, supportive of those who are effective, and I'm sure they'll continue to do that. Going forward in terms of actual tributes, what they did, listen, it really, I think, is too early to even consider that.

to exactly what they'll do. But I know for one thing, they'll do it exactly right and they'll do it with the feeling that they've lost one of their own, which of course, sadly, they have. And for you, Karl, how do you think... We've seen so many statements today from Liverpool teammates, but when they return for pre-season next week...

it feels almost unimaginable the atmosphere that they'll face there. Everywhere they look within that training ground, they'll see Diogo Jota. How hard will the next few weeks be for that team, that club, that manager? I don't... It's so difficult, I don't think it's worthwhile speculating. This is... They're going to be walking into a place of work, a place of community,

one of the biggest characters in the room someone who was always happy to be there uh it's no longer there and this is not just for liverpool players it's the liverpool members of staff the non-playing members of staff the coaches the the people who work in catering the the secretaries as well they've they've all lost a friend they've all lost someone they know and i'm my thoughts are with them at this difficult time it's never never easy to lose someone so suddenly

Especially someone who, as we're seeing through all these tributes, was as brilliant, as kind, and as kind with their time as Diogo Jota. I think in the past couple of hours, we've seen how many tributes from fans saying Diogo Jota recorded a short video to my friend when they were going through a bad time or...

One tribute that sticks out is we know Diogo Jota really liked playing computer games. He loved playing the EA Sports FIFA games. We know he liked playing Football Manager. And apparently one of the stories was he didn't play... When he played as Diogo Jota, he would put himself in midfield rather than up front because he didn't want strangers to know that they were playing against the Diogo Jota. So...

These are stories that will come out slowly over time. And getting used to a new normal, a duller normal, I think a world without Diogo Jota is a slightly less interesting one. And that will take time. It will also take time not just for tributes, but also for Liverpool and the world of football to get around Diogo and Andre's family as well. They've lost...

They've lost a husband, they've lost a father, they've lost a son as well. So these things will take time. And unfortunately, grief is a non-linear timeline. So all my thoughts are with them and I wish them all the best. Let's switch attention to Wimbledon because not a good day for Jack Draper, who has lost in the second round to a former Wimbledon finalist, Marin Cilic.

This is illustrated in the Telegraph today. Firepower of Cilic ensures Draper hoodoo continues. Andy, you've been down at Wimbledon today sampling the atmosphere, the strawberries, I'm sure as well. Jack Draper's performance against Marin Cilic, he would have expected to beat Cilic given the age of his opponent and perhaps the form that Draper had showed recently. What went wrong for him?

Well, I think to start with Marin Cilic, you know, maybe 36 years of age, but he's a former Wimbledon finalist and a Grand Slam winner. So, you know, he is no mug and he has shown signs of recovering form and he played fantastically well today. That's the first thing to say that Cilic played fantastically well. But yes, you would have expected Draper to beat him. I was there on court one.

I don't actually know, to be honest with you, why he wasn't on centre court, but that's probably another discussion or another time for the tennis people to have. However, I was on court one and visibly I thought Jack Draper was tense. He was tight.

Cilic played with a freedom that someone in what you might kindly call the twilight of his career plays with. He played with abandon. And his freedom contrasted with Draper's tightness. I thought that when Draper did get the third set that Cilic might be tired. He was a little bit tired, but he still looked the freer player. He still looked a more relaxed player. And in the end, you have to say the pressure that was on Draper, that's on any player,

Big Wimbledon hope, British hope, because they're so few and far between. The pressure in the end, to me, looked like it told on him. And he's referenced it really in his post-match where he talks about him being in awe of Andy Murray. That's the headline in the Express as well. And, Carl, in terms of the achievements of Andy Murray, it's obviously a big name and a man who's achieved so much, hard to live up to, but...

For Jack Draper, does he need to be able to get over what Andy describes as maybe looking a bit tight or a little bit tense at Wimbledon? Yes and no. Being a Wimbledon favourite, a British seed at Wimbledon, comes with the unique pressure that perhaps only other people who have previously done it can talk to you about. Draper is a phenomenal tennis player. Unfortunately, he's playing in a... Much like Andy Murray, he's playing in a particularly...

pronounced era where there are two or three phenomenal tennis players and a sort of chasing pack of peloton if I'm going to borrow a little bit from the Tour de France and he's in the middle of it and how he established himself in there and how he seizes his moment that'll be up to him

He knows he can play better tennis than the tennis he has played today. And I'm sure he will go on to play better tennis, not just at next year's Wimbledon, but in other tournaments and other Grand Slams. There's a lot more to see from Draper. Defeat for Dan Evans as well, Andy, against Novak Djokovic. He feels like he's won a lot of hearts at this tournament and maybe over the last couple of weeks. Do you think it will be his final Wimbledon?

well he spoke we spoke with him after that defeat you know a very comprehensive defeat again um i must say that in this in the way that chile to play very well against um against jack draper djokovic today at the age of 38 that's as well as i've seen him play for some time and he did himself say that everything just clicked into place today that really was a statement performance from djokovic suggesting that that you

eighth Wimbledon title, that 25th Grand Slam, is no pipe dream. You know, he can still do it on that form. For Dan Evans, though, I think just to get there, you know, he's been through some difficult periods in his career. He needed a wild card to get here. He's 35. He's never obviously been at the level that Djokovic is at. And he spoke today about this might be his last time on centre court, and I'm pretty certain that it will be.

But the way he's bounced back from adversity, Dan Evans, and the way he's conducted himself recently, and his character around the place, Dave, he is a live wire. He interacts brilliantly. Today, though, as he himself said, he was just not on the same level as Novak Djokovic. And it's in the final 30 seconds, Carl. Owen Farrell, back in the Lions squad, lots of people questioning his form and fitness. What do you make of it?

look, Owen Farrell is a phenomenal dressing room presence. I'm not going to make too much of a Nipo baby claims there. I'm not sure if he's going to make the final 23, but his presence in that dressing room will be useful and will help eliminate some of the mistakes we've seen from the Lions in these two or three early matches. So all power to him and let's see what he can do.

Karl, Andy, thank you very much for your time here on Back Pages tonight as the football family mourns the loss of two of their own, Diogo Jota and Andre Silva. The number 20 who set Liverpool on the way to league title number 20, a player who never hunted the spotlight but whose talent stood alone to shine almost as much as his smile.

His family and friends witnessed that on his wedding day less than two weeks ago. The thoughts of everyone are with those loved ones as they begin to deal with this most unimaginable loss. Forever part of the Wolfpack, forever red, forever a champion. Diogo Jota, who has died at the age of 28.