“It was the saddest day of my year”

Jürgen Klopp reflects on Diogo Jota’s passing: ‘It was the saddest day of my year’

Jürgen Klopp opens up about the pain of losing Diogo Jota

Katlego Sekhu

Former Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp has spoken publicly for the first time about the death of his former player, Portugal international Diogo Jota.

Klopp, who signed and coached Jota during his time at Liverpool, described the loss as one of the most difficult moments of his year.

Speaking in an interview with Steven Bartlett, the 58-year-old revealed how deeply the news affected him. “It was the saddest day,” he said. “It’s not about the player, it was about the person he was. He was good with everybody.”

Klopp recalled that, unlike many of his signings, Jota was a player he personally chose to bring to the club. “He exceeded all expectations,” he reflected.

The former Liverpool manager admitted that life at the club feels unimaginable without Jota. “I cannot imagine the dressing room without him. It’s so hard. I still cannot speak properly about it,” he shared.

Diogo Jota tragically passed away on 3 July 2025 following a car accident in Spain that also claimed the life of his brother, André Silva. The crash occurred on the A-52 motorway in the Zamora province after a tyre blowout while overtaking another vehicle.

The tragedy came just two weeks after Jota’s wedding to his long-time partner, Rute Cardoso.

Read Next: Nine priceless royal jewels stolen from Paris’s Louvre Museum