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On August 10, when Liverpool and Crystal Palace came against each other in the Community Shield game, played at Wembley, a minute of silence was held to pay tribute to Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva. It was the final Community Shield contest before the start of the new Premier League season on August 15. On July 3, 2025, Liverpool star and Portugal forward Jota, 28, died in a car crash, which took place in the Spanish province of Zamora. Football Association Chair Debbie Hewitt, Liverpool legend Ian Rush and Crystal Palace Chairman Steve Parish laid wreaths in the Liverpool end as mark of respect.
The tribute to Diogo Jota and his sibling was expected to happen smoothly but it didn’t. During a minute of silence, a section of fans from the Crystal Palace row were seen causing disturbance. The act from fans forced referee Chris Kavanagh to curtail the tribute’s period by 20 seconds. Earlier, Liverpool fans were seen booing the national anthem before the start. Both incidents drew sharp reactions from the football fraternity.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot defends spectators
Liverpool manager Arne Slot has defended spectators present at the venue in Wembley. He feels that the interruption to Jota’s tribute wasn’t pre-planned. “I don’t think this was planned. Maybe the fan was not aware of the minute’s silence and was happy and tried to cheer for his team, then the Palace fans tried to calm him down and our fans reacted. I don’t think they had a bad intention. I’m a positive person. I look at the respect paid to Diogo and Andre across the world,” said Slot.
Slot also hailed his club’s players dealt with the tragedy related to Jota. “I also want to mention the strength and the courage of my players here. They have found themselves in one of the toughest positions imaginable, but the way they have come together and the way they have conducted themselves, on and off the pitch, is a credit to them and to this football club. We really couldn't have asked more of the boys and I am extremely proud of them all,” added Slot.
