Diogo Jota’s sons set to be mascots ahead of emotional Liverpool vs Wolves clash

Diogo Jota’s sons are going to be mascots for Liverpool’s meeting with Wolves at Anfield on Saturday.

It will be the first clash between the two clubs since their former forward tragically died in a car crash in July.

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Jota was killed in the accident at the age of 28 alongside his brother, Andre Silva, in the Spanish province of Zamora.

The Portugal international was loved at Liverpool and Wolves by fans and players alike, and the two teams meet this weekend.

It is sure to be an emotional occasion with the two clubs likely to combine to pay tribute to Jota and Silva.

And to mark it, Jota’s sons, Dinis and Duarte, are going to be walking onto the Anfield pitch with the players.

His family have been invited to the match as special guests by Liverpool and two of his three children will be joining the mascots.

Jota also has a daughter, Mafalda, with his wife Rute Cardoso.

Slot’s message

Liverpool manager Arne Slot mentioned Jota and his family in his programme notes ahead of the fixture against Wolves.

He wrote: “Reflecting on everything that has happened over the last 12 months ignites a rollercoaster of emotions, but it is normal at this time of year to look back to everything that has happened.

“Doing so leads me to think especially of the family of Diogo Jota on what will be their first Christmas without him.

“It is not my place to tell them where they should look for comfort – if that is even possible – but I can only hope that the feeling of love and affection that Diogo still generates brings them some solace.

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“The sense of loss will be particularly strong on Saturday, of course, as it will be the first time that Diogo’s two English teams will meet since his tragic passing.

“Like us, Wolves were clearly very affected by the loss of such a special player and person, so my thoughts continue to be with them also.”

Jota’s tragic death

Jota and Silva passed away on July 3 after they were killed while travelling from Penafiel in Spain.

Their car went off-road on the A-52 in the Spanish province of Zamora due to a tyre blowout while overtaking.

Emotional tributes poured in across the following days as the footballing world mourned the loss of two players.

Liverpool would go on to retire Jota’s No.20 shirt at the club, while Wolves placed him into their Hall of Fame.

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Virgil van Dijk continued to pay respects to his former teammate and his brother, five months after the tragedy.

Like Slot, Van Dijk mentioned them in his programme notes ahead of the Reds’ clash against Wolves on Saturday.

“The loss of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva in July was something none of us could ever have prepared for, and something all of us are still coming to terms with,” he wrote.

“Our thoughts, as ever, remain with Diogo and Andre’s family. They will never, ever be forgotten, and we will carry their memory always.”