Arne Slot: Liverpool will pay remainder of Diogo Jota's contract to his family

"The way the fans conducted themselves after that tragedy, how many flowers there were, all the memorials, I can almost get emotional thinking about it. It's unbelievable what our fans have done and our players as well, the way they have conducted themselves in and around the funeral. And then we have to train again. There are moments where I feel, What must his wife and his children feel now?"

"It sounds so hard but our life continues. People expect from me that I prepare them forever and that sometimes feels a bit difficult knowing how hard it is for the family and for the parents in the phase they are still going through and will go through for the rest of their lives."

"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."

Fenway Sports Group has committed to paying the remaining two years of Diogo Jota's contract to his widow and children. Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva died in a car accident in Spain on 3 July, eleven days after Jota's wedding, leaving three young children. The contract ran until 2027 and was understood to be worth about £140,000 per week. Liverpool head coach Arne Slot confirmed the payment and described difficulty continuing professional duties while thinking about the family's grief. Slot praised fans and players for their memorials and highlighted that such contractual support is uncommon in football.

Read at www.theguardian.com