Arne Slot confirms Liverpool paid Diogo Jota’s contract in full to family after tragic passing

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has confirmed that the club’s owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), paid out the remainder of Diogo Jota’s contract to his family following the Portuguese forward’s tragic death in a car crash in early July.

The gesture, described by Slot as rare in football, underscores the club’s commitment to supporting Jota’s wife and children during their grief.

Jota, 29, and his brother, Andre Silva, were killed while travelling in Spain to catch a ferry back to the UK for pre-season.

With two years left on his Liverpool contract, reports in Portugal earlier this summer suggested FSG would honour the full amount.

Slot confirmed this in an emotional interview with TNT Sports’ Ally McCoist, saying, “The way [FSG] handled this situation, by paying his wife and his children all the money from the contract [is commendable].

“Maybe people think it’s normal, but it is not in football.”

Reflecting on the tragedy, Slot highlighted the overwhelming response from Liverpool’s fans and players. “The grief of the city, that is what makes it so special to work at this club,” he said.

“The way [fans] conducted themselves after that tragedy—how many flowers there were, all the memorials—I can almost get emotional thinking about it.”

He also praised the squad’s conduct around Jota’s funeral, noting the challenge of resuming training amid such loss.

“There are moments where I feel, ‘What must his wife and his children feel now?’ Because it sounds so hard… our life continues.”