Jota death 'extremely difficult to accept' - Salah

Liverpool guardant Mohamed Salah has said it is "going to beryllium highly difficult to accept" nan decease of chap Reds subordinate Diogo Jota.

Jota, aged 28, died successful a car crash on pinch his relative Andre Silva, who was 25.

"I americium genuinely mislaid for words," said Salah, who joined Liverpool successful nan summertime of 2017.

"Until yesterday, I ne'er thought location would beryllium thing that would frighten maine of going backmost to Liverpool aft nan break. Team-mates travel and spell but not for illustration this.

"It's going to beryllium highly difficult to judge that Diogo won't beryllium location erstwhile we spell back.

"My thoughts are pinch his wife, his children, and of people his parents who abruptly mislaid their children. Those adjacent to Diogo and his relative Andre request each nan support they tin get. They will ne'er beryllium forgotten."

The Guardia Civil told BBC Sport some men died astatine astir 00:30 section clip connected Thursday.

Jota was connected his measurement backmost to Liverpool for pre-season and, arsenic doctors had advised him against flying because he had undergone insignificant surgery, he was making nan travel by car and ferry.

Doctor Miguel Goncalves, who worked pinch Jota connected his recovery, described him arsenic an "unparalleled professional".

He told Portuguese sports newspaper Record: "I started moving pinch him past Saturday and I was pinch him each time until this Wednesday. I said goodbye to him astatine meal time.

"He made an bonzer betterment - he was undoubtedly an unparalleled professional. He strictly followed what I told him, arsenic you could spot successful nan measurement he was recovering.

"He was excited, assured successful his betterment and enthusiastic astir nan adjacent season."

He joined his semipermanent partner Rute Cardoso, pinch who he had 3 children, 11 days earlier nan fatal crash.

Several Liverpool players were scheduled to return connected Friday from their summertime break for an first information of beingness tests astatine nan club's training ground.

That was postponed and location will now beryllium a phased return for players connected Monday.

Liverpool head Arne Slot's broadside are group to play their first pre-season lucifer against Preston North End connected Sunday, 13 July.

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher besides paid tribute to "one of my closest friends successful football".

"We bonded complete each things, sports, watching immoderate shot lucifer we could find - often your relative Andre's crippled connected your iPad," said Kelleher.

"I was amazed a lad from Portugal loved sports specified arsenic darts, snooker and equine racing truthful overmuch and immoderate of my champion memories were having a laughter watching them pinch you.

"It's going wounded for a agelong clip and I'm going miss you truthful overmuch but I consciousness truthful fortunate to person sewage to cognize you and person specified a bully friend."

A vigil for Jota and Silva will beryllium held astatine nan Chapel of Resurrection successful their hometown of Gondomar connected Friday.

There will beryllium a ceremonial work astatine 10:00 connected Saturday astatine nan Igreja Matriz de Gondomar.

Portugal and Nottingham Forest midfielder Jota Silva laid a wreath extracurricular nan chapel, wherever a backstage aftermath for nan brothers' relatives took spot connected Friday afternoon.

Locals and fans person been paying tribute to Jota extracurricular nan shot academy successful Gondomar wherever he played from nan property of 9 to 17.

The academy is named aft him and a image shows Jota wearing some nan colours of nan Portugal nationalist broadside and nan yellowish of his hometown nine arsenic a child.

People person besides been paying their respects astatine Liverpool and erstwhile nine Wolves, who he near successful 2020 to subordinate nan Reds.

Everton players Beto and Youssef Chermiti, who are some Portuguese, and erstwhile Toffees midfielder Ian Snodin laid wreaths successful Jota and Silva's representation extracurricular Anfield.

Liverpool person group up a book of condolences successful nan Anfield Road Stand reception area and an online type of nan book has besides been made disposable to beryllium "accessible to fans crossed nan globe".