Enzo Maresca mourns Diogo Jota, gives Pedro Neto the nod for Palmeiras clash

The 28-year-old, along with his brother Andre, tragically lost their lives on Thursday when their vehicle left the motorway in Cernadilla, a municipality located in the province of Zamora in northwestern Spain.

Jota, who transferred to the Reds from Wolves, was instrumental in Arne Slot’s Premier League-winning season last year, having also previously secured the FA Cup, Community Shield, and twice the Carabao Cup during his tenure at Anfield.

Related News: Liverpool to honor Diogo Jota's Legacy with full contract payout to family

Prior to addressing the media ahead of Friday’s Club World Cup quarter-final match against Palmeiras, the Italian manager conveyed a heartfelt message to the family of the Portuguese international.

"This is a very sad day. I struggle to find the words because it's very difficult. I think that you feel helpless in this kind of situation," Maresca told the media. "The only thing I can say, you know, all my love to, you know, his family, the people that in this moment, it's a big tragedy for them."

In the meantime, Maresca stated that it would be up to the mourning Pedro Neto to determine his availability for the match against the Brazilians at Lincoln Financial Field, after the passing of his close international friend.

Neto was absent from Chelsea’s training session in Miami on Thursday morning, with Maresca disclosing that the player is not under any obligation to participate against Palmeiras.

The Italian coach confirmed that Neto will be given complete support and the autonomy to choose whether to participate in the game.

"In terms of Pedro, it's very sad, probably more than sad, but we are also close to Pedro to support him in this moment," he continued. "It's completely Pedro's decision. I had a chat this morning with Pedro. We support him. Any decision he will take is the correct one, and we are going to support him in any case. So, it doesn't matter if we'll be in the pitch or not tomorrow. We'll see how he's feeling tomorrow, but in any case, we're going to support him."

Liverpool has released a statement in the wake of the unfortunate death of their striker. "Liverpool Football Club is heartbroken by the tragic loss of Diogo Jota," the statement stated.

"The club has been notified that the 28-year-old has died as a result of a road traffic accident in Spain, alongside his brother, Andre. Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request the privacy of Diogo and Andre’s family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss. We will continue to provide them with our full support."

Diogo Jota: 1996-2025

The club has announced that they will permanently honor Jota by retiring his number 20 shirt, a sincere tribute that guarantees no player will don it again, thus preserving his legacy for future generations.

Jota represented Portugal's senior national team 49 times and played a crucial role in their UEFA Nations League final victory over Spain in June.