Liverpool Retires Number 20 in Honor of the Late Star Diogo Jota

Liverpool FC has announced the retirement of the number "20" in honor of the Portuguese striker Diogo Jota, who tragically passed away along with his brother Andre Silva in a horrific car accident in northern Spain at the beginning of this July.

The club confirmed in an official statement released yesterday, Friday, that the decision was made after consulting with his wife Rute Cardoso and his family, to retire the number across all levels of the club, including the first team, the women's team, and the Liverpool Academy.

Michael Edwards, the club's CEO, said:

 "I believe this is the first time in Liverpool's history that a player has been honored in this way. Jota was a unique person and deserves exceptional recognition."

Liverpool is returning to play matches for the first time since the tragedy, in a friendly against Preston on Sunday as part of their preparations for the new season.

The match will include emotional tributes, with the rendition of the anthem "You'll Never Walk Alone" before kick-off, Preston laying a wreath of flowers in front of the Liverpool fans, a minute of silence, displaying images of Jota on the giant screens inside the stadium, and players wearing black armbands.

Jota, 28 years old, had married his partner Rute Cardoso just 11 days before the accident and was a father of three children.

The accident occurred when the Lamborghini car he was traveling in with his brother veered off the road and caught fire.

A number of Liverpool players, led by captain Virgil van Dijk and the team's coach Jurgen Klopp, attended his funeral, in a touching scene that demonstrated the club's love for their late player.

Jota joined Liverpool in 2020 and wore the number 20 shirt throughout his time at the club, delivering outstanding performances that made him a key figure in the team's attack in recent seasons.