Liverpool Players Should 'follow Emotions' To Cope With Jota Death - Slot

Liverpool leader Arne Slot says his players should beryllium themselves and travel their emotions arsenic they travel to position pinch nan decease of team-mate Diogo Jota.

Portugal guardant Jota and his relative Andre Silva died successful a car crash connected 3 July successful nan Spanish state of Zamora.

The Reds play their first pre-season friends since Jota's decease astatine Preston North End astatine 15:00 BST connected Sunday.

In his first question and reply since Jota's death, Slot told Liverpool TV: "If we want to laugh, we laugh; if we want to cry, we're going to cry.

"If they want to train they tin train, if they don't want to train they tin not train. But beryllium yourself, don't deliberation you person to beryllium different than your emotions show you.

"We will ever transportation him pinch america successful our hearts, successful our thoughts, wherever we go."

The ceremonial of nan brothers took spot successful their hometown of Gondomar past Saturday erstwhile a ample Liverpool delegation, including Slot, were successful attendance.

There person besides been floral tributes astatine Anfield, wherever Jota's woman Rute Cardoso, members of nan brothers' family and Liverpool's squad each visited connected Friday to salary their respects.

Liverpool person retired Jota's number 20 shirt crossed their men's, women's and academy teams successful "honour and memory" of nan erstwhile Wolves forward.

A number of tributes person been planned for nan Preston game, including a pre-match rendition of Liverpool's anthem You'll Never Walk Alone and a minute's silence, pinch some sets of players wearing achromatic armbands.

"Nothing seems to beryllium important if we deliberation of what has happened," said Slot. "But we are a shot nine and we request to train and we request to play again, if we want it aliases not.

"What I've said to nan players, I tin opportunity it present arsenic well. It's very difficult to find nan correct words because we perpetually statement what is appropriate. What is due successful our actions? What is due [for] what we person to say? Can we train again? Can we laughter again? Can we beryllium angry if there's a incorrect decision?

"And I've said to them, possibly nan champion point for america to do is grip this business for illustration Jota was. And what I meant pinch that is that Jota was ever himself, it didn't matter if he was talking to me, to his team-mates, to nan staff, he was ever himself. So fto america effort to beryllium ourselves arsenic well."

Jota scored 65 goals successful 182 appearances for Liverpool, helping them triumph nan FA Cup and League Cup successful 2022 and nan Premier League title past season.

He played his last lucifer for Portugal arsenic they hit Spain successful nan last of nan Nations League connected 8 June. He scored 14 goals successful 49 internationals.

The Guardia Civil told BBC Sport that Jota and his relative died aft their car, a Lamborghini, near nan roadworthy owed to a tyre blowout while overtaking different vehicle.

The brothers had been heading to nan Spanish larboard of Santander truthful Jota could return to Liverpool for pre-season training.