Trent Alexander-Arnold shares a heartfelt interview after the passing of his former Liverpool teammate, Diogo Jota.
Alexander-Arnold addressed the media after Real Madrid's 3-2 win against Borussia Dortmund at the Club World Cup on Saturday.
Trent Alexander-Arnold expressed that it was “hard” to perform during Real Madrid’s 3-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund, following the tragic death of his former Liverpool teammate, Diogo Jota.
Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva, a professional footballer with Penafiel in Portugal’s second tier, died in a car accident in northwestern Spain early Thursday morning (July 3). Reports indicate that their Lamborghini veered off the road due to a tyre blowout while attempting to overtake another vehicle and subsequently caught fire.
Tributes from the football community flooded in after the news broke, with heartfelt messages from all the clubs Jota had played for, as well as from ex-teammate Cristiano Ronaldo and many others.
A joint funeral for Silva and Jota was held in Gondomar, Portugal, on Saturday (July 5), attended by Jota’s Liverpool teammates, including Virgil van Dijk, Andrew Robertson, and Alexis MacAllister, along with head coach Arne Slot and former captain Jordan Henderson.
Later that day, Alexander-Arnold, 26, played during Real Madrid’s match in the Club World Cup quarter-finals in New Jersey. After the game, he admitted that processing Jota’s death was “extremely difficult.”
“I had to try to perform for the team and help them win, no matter how challenging it was,” Alexander-Arnold shared with DAZN. “As tough as it was, I pushed myself to focus on my role. I did my best, but it was difficult, and I won’t pretend otherwise.”
“[Jota] was one of my close friends, and I know that’s what he would have wanted me to do. I’m sure we would have laughed about the assist as well. He was with me in spirit, I’m sure.”
The two played together 145 times for Liverpool. “I shared the dressing room with him for five years—amazing memories on and off the pitch,” Trent reflected. “He will never be forgotten. He will always be remembered for the incredible person and player he was.”
“It’s truly heartbreaking to wake up to such news. It’s something you never expect.”
Kylian Mbappe, a forward for Real Madrid, also honored Jota by signaling the number 20 with his fingers after scoring late against Dortmund.
