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| Brothers YNWA |
I had seen the deep frown on his face while handling my own call as he was scrolling through his phone. I hung up and he asked if I had caught the news, which I hadn't, otherwise I would not have been on the phone nattering about books for so long. He told me Diogo Jota had died in a car crash in Spain along with his brother, André.
I had hoped there would be a punch line as a week ago he told me Xabi Alonso had fainted . . . after he had watched Trent Alexander Arnold defend during a Real Madrid training session. Respite was not to come. Peace of mind had lost all sense of bearing. There would be no rowing back from this one. The great Liverpool frontman was with us no more.
Despite being much more philosophical about death the older I get, the news left me reeling. I still struggle to take it in. Reading just a few minutes ago that the brothers' funeral will take place tomorrow it all seems to be moving at the pace of a Formula 1 race car rather than a hearse.
I spoke to my sister whose joy at being at Wimbledon centre court for the first time in her life was punctured by the news of the fatal crash in Spain. I also spoke with my friend Andrew whose company I had shared so often while watching Liverpool and Diogo Jota in the pubs of Drogheda and Dublin. Paddy, another companion on those pub match days, I could not reach as he is on a family holiday. I chatted with a friend, Tony in Limerick, whose son is a die hard Liverpool fan. It was that sort of day - a need to insulate against the shock by reaching out to fellow fans, just as rocked by the turn of events as I was.
For all of us, the shared eager anticipation of the title defence beginning next month has evaporated. The range of exciting players brought in simply does not compensate for the one that has departed.
An integral part of the Liverpool strike force Diogo Jota brimmed with talent matched by an acute instinct for goal. When he played there was always an expectation that he could turn a game around if it was not going Liverpool's way. Phenomenal in the air, lethal on the ground, Diogo Jota could deliver the goods for both Liverpool and Portugal.
The grief, anguish and vacuum that the passing of the brothers leaves is a burden unbearable for his family. His wife, a widow ten days after her wedding; his three children fatherless; his parents having lost both their children. Life's mirror has cracked and no matter how it is put together again, the reflection it gives off will never be the same.
Since news of the brothers' deaths began filtering through fans of Liverpool and others started to make their way to Anfield. Not for the first time has the ground become a veritable shrine adorned with floral tributes. Many fans have now taken to calling on the club to decommission the No 20 shirt, that worn by the late striker. Whether that happens or not Diogo Jota will be forever Liverpool. His untimely death while at the height of his powers as a Liverpool player will guarantee that. Unlike the many legends that have played for Liverpool FC, he never left the club. He never shall.
Eternal Dreamless Sleep Diogo Jota.
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Words are almost inadequate to describe the shock and horror felt by football fans of all clubs felt when this awful news broke. It does brutally bring home just how fundamentally fragile life can be.
ReplyDeleteRIP Diogo and Andre. Condolences to his widow, three kids and his parents.
Words never capture it Barry.
DeleteFragility and unpredictability is what life offers. I think it might have been Henry Joy who quoted Schopenhauer about life recently.
He was travelling by car to the ferry terminal in northern Spain because he recently had a lung operation & was advised not to fly .
ReplyDeleteJose Antonio Reyes died in a car crash two years ago . Players spend so much time travelling , I wasn't totally shocked that a high profile figure lost his life . The Reds holidayed in Spain three weeks before the season ended .
I never learned to drive because trains & busses seemed a lot safer .
How long should the club wait before making their next signing ?