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Liverpool winger Luis Diaz has opened up on how the death of his team-mate, and 'great friend', Diogo Jota, has affected him after the striker tragically passed away last week.
Jota, 28, and his brother, Andre Silva, 25, were laid to rest at Gondomar cemetery in Portugal on Saturday after they were killed in a car crash in northern Spain in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The accident came just 11 days after Jota had married childhood sweetheart Rute Cardoso, also 28, who is the mother of his two sons Dinis, four, and Duarte, two as well as his baby daughter Mafalda, who is just eight months old.
The footballing world has been left in mourning after the shock passing of Jota, and tributes have since flooded in from those closest to him, including many of the Liverpool squad, of which several attended his funeral.
Diaz was one who posted a heartfelt message on Instagram as those within the sport attempted to come to terms with what had happened.
And now the Colombian, who was unable to attend the funeral after travelling to his homeland, has once again paid a touching tribute to Jota.
Luis Diaz (middle) has paid a heartfelt tribute to Diogo Jota who passed away last week
The winger told WinSportsTV he 'broke down in tears' when he heard the devastating news
Diaz was unable to attend Jota's funeral on Saturday with his Liverpool team-mates were present as football mourned his tragic death
Diaz has recalled the touching gesture Jota gave to him back in 2023 when his father had been kidnapped.
'It's very difficult to receive news like this, it's very sad,' he told WinSportsTV.
'No one is prepared for this, he was a key companion when I arrived in Liverpool because his family welcomed me and we formed a great friendship. We had a healthy rivalry and it was important.'
Diaz also took time to look back on the support that Jota provided him when the Colombian's father was kidnapped in October 2023.
After scoring a goal against Nottingham Forest, Jota celebrated by holding up Diaz's shirt, a moving gesture which Diaz will always remember.
'He made a very nice gesture towards me, which I will never forget,' The winger continued. 'May he rest in peace, I have a great friend in my heart, who will always be remembered by his team.
'I want to send a lot of strength to his family, his wife, his children, because the truth is that they are suffering a lot with this.
'(It hurts) a lot, a lot. It was incredible when I woke up and saw the news. The truth is I broke down in tears. It as a very, very, very big pain.'
