Klopp reveals he still cannot come to terms with Diogo Jota's death at 28

Jurgen Klopp has admitted he is still unable to come to terms with the death of Diogo Jota, the former Liverpool forward who died aged 28 in a car crash in the summer of 2025, weeks after winning the Premier League title under Klopp’s management. The German spoke about Jota for Diogo Jota: Forever In Our Hearts, a new biography published by Reach Sport.

Jota died alongside his brother Andre Silva in the accident, leaving behind a wife and three children. He had been one of the most popular figures in Klopp’s Liverpool squad, and the manager recalled the moment he first identified him as a signing target while watching a Wolves match.

“When Diogo drifted to the left, using his physicality, showing refined technique and tremendous power, I immediately thought: ‘I want this player’,” Klopp said. “It was a gut feeling, the sort that you can usually rely on.”

Klopp described how Jota’s signing was unusual in that it was the manager himself, rather than scouts or sporting directors, who first pushed for the move. “In Diogo’s case, it was me who took the initiative,” he said. “I asked them to put together some material about him. I told them I wanted to take a closer look at him, and that I was excited about his attributes. We needed versatile players, and Diogo could play in several positions. And he had the right attitude and mentality for a club like Liverpool.”

Reflecting on the news of Jota’s death, Klopp described a moment of complete shock. “I’m 58 years old. I know that people die, that this is part of life,” he said. “But when I heard about Diogo’s accident, I was in shock and I couldn’t even speak. I didn’t ask how, I didn’t ask where; I just stopped what I was doing and tried to come to terms with it. To this day, I must admit, I still haven’t really managed to do that.”

Klopp said he agreed to contribute to the biography because he wanted to speak about Jota and reflect on his memory, but found himself overwhelmed during the conversation. “I’ve spent most of my life talking, but now I’m just hanging by a thread, lost for words,” he said.