On Friday night, Liverpool officially retired the club’s No. 20 shirt in a poignant tribute to their late forward, Diogo Jota. This means that Jota will forever be synonymous with Liverpool’s number 20.
The Portuguese international tragically died recently alongside his brother Andre in a fatal car accident in Spain. Both Jota and Andre were laid to rest last Saturday.
After consulting with Jota’s wife, Rute, and his family, the Premier League champions decided to retire the shirt in honor and memory of Jota across all levels of the club, including the Women’s team and the Academy.
Jota joined the Reds from Wolves in 2020 and played a key role in winning several trophies, including the Premier League title.
“It was vitally important to us to involve Diogo’s wife, Rute, and his family in the decision and to ensure they were the first to know of our intention,” stated Michael Edwards, FSG CEO of Football, via Liverpool’s website.
“I believe this is the first time in Liverpool Football Club’s history that such an honour has been bestowed upon an individual. Therefore, we can say this is a unique tribute to a uniquely wonderful person. By retiring this squad number, we are making it eternal – and therefore never to be forgotten.”
