“Hey everybody. This is a special episode from all of us at Perspective. As you all know by now, the footballing world has sadly been struck with some awful news, and we at Perspective want to honour the memory of Liverpool and Portugal’s forward, Diogo Jota, who sadly passed away in a car crash with his brother Andre Silva…”
The usual vibrant energy in the Perspective studio had been replaced by a somber, reflective mood on this day. The team were obviously devastated by the tragic news of the Liverpool player’s sudden and shocking demise the previous day, and had decided to record a tribute to him and his brother. Out of respect for the family, they had opted not to monetize the video, as they all agreed it would be wholly improper to use a man’s death to make money.
All dressed in black Portugal jerseys, the entire team of panelists was seated in their usual semi-circle, facing the camera with sullen expressions as Mickey delivered the tragic news. The table before them held a framed photo of Diogo Jota, mid-celebration, his infectious grin frozen in time.
“Listen, bruv, this one hurts, I can’t lie. Man don’t have to be a Liverpool fan for this to hurt the way it does,” Mickey continued, sighing sadly. “I mean, beyond football, my man was a human being, so forget all the rivalries and stuff. He was a father to three little children. He just got married. This is devastating, man, and there’s not much we can say. To his family, to Liverpool Football Club and the fans, we send you our best wishes and support. Football has lost a great footballer and a great guy, and we mourn with you.”
Donald leaned forward, a grim look on his face. “It’s so hard to process this. Everyone just feels like… they’ve lost a family member. It’s that deep. You know, these footballers… they’re a bigger part of our lives than we think. They can literally… you know, make or unmake your weekend, so there’s this connection we have with them. And to wake up to news like this is just… it’s horrible. There’s so much we can remember Diogo by; his goals, his celebrations… all that stuff. But before all that, he was someone’s father, someone’s husband… bruv, that part just hits the hardest. Just eleven days of marriage. Flipping heck. Look… condolences to the family and everyone associated with Liverpool. Our hearts bleed with you over this.”
Simba nodded. “Chale… there’s not much to say, yet… there’s a whole lot to say. I mean, this is a horrible blow to the football community. It’s one of those moments when you remember life goes way beyond football, and our rivalries become so insignificant. We’re all hurting, all of us, we really are. May he and his brother rest in peace, and for the football community, especially everyone linked to Liverpool, we are with you. We share in your grief and pain. Truly, truly, you will never walk alone; we’re all walking with you through this painful period. And of course, his family. They’re hurting way more than we could ever imagine, and our prayers are with them, that God helps them in this time of sorrow.”
“It’s just so heartbreaking, you know, considering how Diogo Jota just got married and all,” Justice contributed. “Barely two weeks in and he’s gone. Honestly, thoughts go out to his wife, because this is horrible. Just… just horrible. I can’t imagine what she’s going through. And his kids as well, losing their father at such a young age. I mean, like Mickey said, forget about football, Diogo and Andre were humans first of all, and losing someone this way is just traumatizing. I feel for the family and everyone deeply affected by this tragedy, and I pray the Lord comforts them, because they really need it.”
“Yeah, and we can’t forget about their parents,” Ash Clovez stated. “I mean, they must be going through it, living every parent’s worst nightmare: having to bury their children. Bruv, it is so fucking heartbreaking. I wish nothing but love and comfort for them to the fullest. Imagine seeing your son have an amazing past couple of months, only for him to lose his life this way. Let’s pray their community really comes through for them. And for Liverpool, yeah, we mourn with you. It sucks that their title win has been hampered with these unfortunate happenings: from the dickhead running into the crowd during their parade, to this. I wish them all the best, and I hope they take the time to heal, because this will impact the players really bad. Let’s hope for the best for them, yeah.”
The team nodded solemnly.
“Listen, days like this just remind us how fragile life is, yeah,” Magnum commented. “One minute you’re here, the next you’re gone. Man needs to be grateful and live life to the fullest with no regrets, you get me. As long you ain’t hurting anyone or doing illegal stuff, do what you need to do. And count your blessings, you get me. Getting home safely each day, hell of an underrated blessing. Being able to move from one place to another, a major underrated blessing. Let’s be grateful, people, it’s so important.”
“Yeah. I mean, everyone’s said it all,” Benoni sighed. “Diogo Jota was a special player. A proper baller. On the real, I rarely saw people come after him the way they would other players. He seemed a genuinely good guy by all accounts, and… this just doesn’t feel fair. Nobody deserves to die a horrible death, but his… yo, I heard about it on the way back from Birmingham, and I could not believe it. It broke my heart, because this is a human being before a footballer. A young man at that, with a wife and kids, so yeah, it’s simply awful to hear. From the bottom of our hearts, we send our deepest condolences to everyone affected: his wife, children, parents, teammates and Liverpool fans all over. We’ll dearly miss seeing him on the pitch.”
Mickey nodded, then turned to the camera, everyone having offered their solemn words. “Yeah, people, it’s a dark day for football. Losing a young bradda this way is just shocking, and we mourn with everyone who cared about Diogo Jota. It’s… it’s just devastating. One of those ugly reminders of how cruel life can be sometimes. Doesn’t matter what badge you rep; when something like this happens, we’re all one. To Jota’s family, to his teammates, to every fan who chanted his name… we’re with you. And uh, before we go, TMA, could you come over for a minute, yeah? You’re our resident die-hard Liverpool guy, we need a word from you.”
The camera panned slightly as Thomas-Muller came into view, walking over to the table. Wearing a black cap and a Liverpool scarf, his expression was heavy, and his eyes red-rimmed but composed. He leaned toward Simba’s mic and spoke quietly.
“I’m shattered, I really am,” he remarked sadly. “Diogo Jota was one of our own. One of my favourites in the team. I was so delighted for him when Portugal won the Nations League, I thought ‘this brudda’s year could not get any better’. And when I saw that he got married… yeah, I knew man was on top of the world. Never would I have thought it would end this way. I never would have imagined his winning goal against Everton would be the last goal we’d ever see him score. Bruv, this hurts like fuck. Diogo Jota… he was our number 20. And he always will be. He never left Liverpool, never retired. He’ll be our number 20 for eternity. Every goal, every run, every smile… he was one of us. And… he’ll never be forgotten. You’ll never walk alone, Diogo Jota and Andre Silva. You’ll never walk alone.”
As he stepped back, Mickey nodded.
“Number 20 forever. Couldn’t have said it better, TMA. Rest in peace, Diogo and Andre. From all of us here at Perspective, we say, rest easy. You’ll never walk alone, brothers. Never.”
A little tribute to the late Diogo Jota and his brother. Definitely one of the most devastating things to have hit football this year. RIP to them. YNWA.
