Diogo was incredibly important player, having him changed the whole dynamics: Jurgen Klopp

New Delhi, Aug 13 (IANS) Liverpool manager Arne Slot and ex-boss Jurgen Klopp reflected on the late Diogo Jota’s impact and praised centre-forward’s achievements over the past year.

Jota and his brother Andre Silva passed away in a car accident in the Spanish province of Zamora. Jota’s car veered off the road while driving at a high speed, a tyre blowout caused the car to lose control and catch fire.

Slot praised the centre-forward's personal and professional achievements, while Klopp hailed his influence on the team's dynamics.

"He was a champion for his family, which is the most important thing. He was a champion for his country, winning the Nations League for a nation he loves (Portugal) and cares deeply about. And he was a champion for us by helping win the Premier League," Slot said on JioHotstar.

Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp highlighted Jota's impact on the team. "Diogo was an incredibly important player for us. Having him in the side changed the dynamics."

Jota, 28, was a key figure for both Portugal and Liverpool. Since joining the club in 2020 from Wolves, he helped them win major trophies including the Premier League, FA Cup, and two EFL Cups.

In honour and memory of Jota, Liverpool also retired his number 20.

Slot further expressed his admiration for Jota as both, a player and a person. "I think his parents and Rute (Jota’s wife – Rute Cardoso) can be extremely proud of the player and the person he was. He always stayed true to himself, and they should — and will — be very proud."

Slot signed off by reflecting on competing with Arsenal last season: “The gap between us and Arsenal in terms of points may have looked big, but the margins between winning and losing were always very tight for us. We won many games by just a single goal, which shows how hard we had to work for every result. We’ll have to fight for those fine margins again this season."

--IANS

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