Slot minimizes incident in tribute to Jota: No ill intention

Liverpool manager Arne Slot played down the interruption of the minute’s silence in memory of Diogo Jota by some Crystal Palace fans before the Community Shield at Wembley. Tributes were paid to former Liverpool forward Diogo Jota, who died in a car accident along with his brother André Silva last month. They were honored with wreaths on the field and a moment of silence before the start of the match. A minority of Palace fans broke the silence, which provoked a strong response at the other end of the field, as well as from other Palace supporters who tried to silence those who did not respect the tribute.

I don’t think this was planned, or that this was the idea of the fan who made noise. Maybe he wasn’t aware that it was a minute of silence.

Arne Slot

Slot went on to explain that the fan was probably just excited and cheering for his team. He added that Palace’s own fans tried to calm the person or people who made noise. The Liverpool coach believes there was no malice and that the situation was unfortunate. He mentioned that Crystal Palace fans and fans around the world have shown great respect for Diogo and André. Slot also anticipated the next home game against Bournemouth and hopes that the same level of respect will be maintained.

Liverpool fans paid tribute with a moving rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” while the floral wreaths were displayed. A white banner was unfurled with the name “Diogo J” and the image of the striker with the number 20. The club’s all-time top scorer, Ian Rush, Palace chairman Steve Parish, and Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt laid wreaths at the Liverpool end, as fans from both teams showed their respect with a standing ovation. Images of the brothers were shown on the stadium’s giant screens.