Liverpool: Arne Slott speaks of pride in how the Reds dealt with Diogo Jota’s death | Soccer News

Arne Slott said he was “proud” of how Liverpool responded to the death of Diogo Jota at the end of the week when he would have turned 29.

Thursday marked Jota’s birthday, highlighting Liverpool’s on-field struggles.

Reflecting on how difficult it was to grieve Jota, Slott opened up to Sky Sports.

“The players, our fans and everyone associated with the football club…everyone has done extremely well,” Slott said.

“The fans sing a song for him in the 20th minute of every game and I’m proud of how everyone handled the situation from the moment it happened until now. As a club, as players and as supporters, in my opinion we couldn’t have done better.”

“And I completely ignore the consequences of this conversation.”

Asked how difficult it was to keep going to the Liverpool facility where Jota was so important, Slott said: “It’s a very different time to be grieving. Usually it’s someone’s family or relatives or your own friends who are grieving. Then you come to work and it’s a place where you forget about your grief. And now it’s the other way around.”

“So when they’re here, the players, and we as a staff, are faced with this a lot more than when we’re at home.”

But Mr Slott wanted to compare their loss to that of Jota’s family.

“If it’s difficult for us, we all have to understand how difficult it is for his family, his wife, his children, his parents.

“Yes, it is difficult for us, but it must be very difficult for them as well.

“It’s his birthday today, Christmas is coming up, and it’s New Year’s Eve. It’s been a very difficult year for them and this month is no different.”

Slots where you can feel the support of fans and staff

On the field, Liverpool are in a slump. The defending champions have won just four of their last 14 games in all competitions, losing nine of them.

Slott’s management has come under scrutiny from critics and has seen a significant step back from last season’s dominance. But the Dutchman says the support of Liverpool fans has helped him through tough times.

“First of all, my family, as always, is very, very, very supportive, win or lose, but probably even more the more we lose (in some cases),” he said.

“And I think the same goes for everyone in and around the football club, from the owners to Michael Edwards to Richard Hughes to the publicists and everyone else.

“Staff members are, as always, very helpful. They are very positive and willing to go above and beyond to achieve results.”

“So I don’t feel alone at all. Of course there are times when it’s difficult and I feel lonely, but generally speaking I feel so much support.

“And you should never forget the last game, because you were talking about the scrutiny, the pressure, all that stuff…but I think it was probably more than those three games that I felt the support of the fans every single time.”

“And not only can I feel it, I can even hear it. So I can even hear the support I get from the fans in the stadium, away against West Ham and now against Sunderland.”

“I feel a lot of support.”

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Asked if this difficult period had taught him more about Liverpool and its supporters, Slott said: “I can’t say I’ve learned anything, but it has made me realize even more about how special this club is.”

“Because if you win, I think all the fans around the world will be rooting for you.

“As fans, as a fan base, we can make a difference even when things are difficult. And I think the first time they showed that was when the Diogo tragedy happened. And as I watched this season go, I felt a huge amount of support from them, and I think the players felt the same way.”

“It’s much more difficult for the fan base, and this is where they stand out compared to a lot of other fan bases.”

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