Liverpool have demonstrated their class by paying Diogo Jota's family the remainder of his contract earnings following the star's tragic death. Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, died in a horrific car accident on July 3, just 11 days after he got married.
The Jota family was struck by tragedy after the two footballers crashed in the Spanish province of Zamora. It was later confirmed Diogo was driving the two siblings to a port in Santander to report for pre-season on Merseyside when his Lamborghini Huracan suffered a tyre blowout while overtaking another vehicle, causing the car to skid and crash.
Jota, who would have turned 29 on Thursday, had moved to Anfield from Wolves in 2020 and quickly became a fan favourite. He had two years remaining on his £140,000-a-week contract when the worst unfolded, leaving behind wife Rute Cardoso and three young children.
In recognition of his achievements and significance to the club, Jota's death led to a swift outpouring of tributes. Liverpool did more than offer mere words as consolation, however, and agreed to pay out the remainder of his contract to his surviving family. The gesture was a substantial one as manager Arne Slot confirmed it's by no means a given for clubs to do such a thing, even on such grievous occasions.
"I said how proud I felt about how the fans reacted and the ownership," said Arne Slot on TNT Sports in September. "Owners are mainly criticised, like managers, but the way they've handled this situation by paying his wife and his children all the money from the contract is...maybe people think it's normal, but it is not in football."
Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) have been lauded for a litany of smart business decisions during their time in charge on Merseyside. However, it's the level of empathy on display with this gesture that deserves recognition. Jota scored 65 goals and recorded 26 assists in 182 Liverpool appearances during his five seasons with the Reds. He helped the club lift the Premier League title only a couple of months prior to his death, having also played a crucial role in the FA Cup and EFL Cup double of 2022. In further recognition of his contributions to the club, Liverpool also permanently retired his No. 20 jersey in July.
