Roberto Martinez pays heartfelt Diogo Jota tribute ahead of poignant Portugal v Croatia fixture
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Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez has paid a heartfelt tribute to Diogo Jota ahead of the nation’s World Cup round-of-32 fixture against Croatia.The match takes place in Toronto when it’ll be 7pm local time on Thursday, but midnight in Portugal on Friday 3 July when it kicks off on what’ll be the first anniversary of the tragic deaths of Liverpool’s forever number 20 and his brother Andre Silva.The siblings were killed in a car accident in northern Spain a year ago tomorrow, a tragedy which plunged the entire footballing world into devastation and grieving.Martinez pays tribute to Diogo Jota before Portugal v CroatiaPrior to Portugal’s match against Croatia in a few hours’ time, Martinez spoke of how Jota continues to serve as an inspiration for his national team, all the more so for this particularly poignant occasion.The 52-year-old said (via BBC Sport): “Diogo’s dream is still with us and he sets the standards. He sets the light for the direction of this group.
Every day is difficult. When we are training, there are always moments when Diogo comes back into our memory.“I think the anniversary is just a moment that makes this game [v Croatia] Diogo Jota’s game.
Diogo will always be with us.”Jota continues to be remembered throughout the World CupThe Portuguese national team have already commemorated Jota’s memory by stating in the squad announcement for the World Cup that they’d travel with ’27+1′ players, and those representing Portugal at the tournament have been wearing wristbands with their names and Diogo’s.The late forward missed the previous finals in Qatar four years ago due to injury, and tragically he’d never again have the opportunity to play for his country in the biggest competition in international football.On the last of his 49 caps, which came less than a month before he died, he helped Portugal to win the UEFA Nations League for the second time as they beat Spain on penalties in the final, and those two teams would meet in the World Cup next Monday if they’re both victorious in their round-of-32 ties.On the surface, Martinez and his team will have a football match to win in Toronto tonight, but this fixture has a meaning which goes far beyond the result of 90 (or more) minutes of action on the pitch.Whatever the outcome against Croatia might be, the Portuguese players will simply want to do Jota proud with their performance on the one-year anniversary of his and Andre’s heartbreaking deaths.