‘A Difficult Day’: Al Hilal’s Portuguese players mourn Diogo Jota following fatal crash ahead of Club World Cup quarter-final

‘A Difficult Day’: Al Hilal’s Portuguese players mourn Diogo Jota following fatal crash ahead of Club World Cup quarter-final

ORLANDO, July 4 — Al Hilal manager Simone Inzaghi said the tragic death of Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota has deeply affected his squad ahead of their Club World Cup quarter-final clash with Fluminense on Friday.

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ORLANDO, July 4 — Al Hilal manager Simone Inzaghi said the tragic death of Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota has deeply affected his squad ahead of their Club World Cup quarter-final clash with Fluminense on Friday.

Jota, 28, and his younger brother Andre were killed when their car veered off a motorway in northern Spain and caught fire on Thursday.

The loss has hit especially hard for Al Hilal’s Portuguese players—Joao Cancelo, a national teammate of Jota, and Ruben Neves, who played alongside him for both Portugal and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League.

“It’s a heartbreaking day after what happened to Diogo and Andre,” said Inzaghi. “These are the kinds of tragedies that should never happen. With Ruben and Cancelo being so close to them, it’s been a very difficult day. We tried to train, but the mood was not the same. The loss has been felt by everyone.”

Left-back Moteb Al Alharbi said the team has rallied around Cancelo and Neves in support.

“We were all shocked when we woke up to the news. The whole team felt the sorrow, and we’ve done our best to be there for them,” he said. “I believe they’ll be ready, even though they’re carrying this emotional burden.”

Saudi winger Khalid Alghannam added, “They weren’t in the best emotional state, but I’m confident they’ll stay focused for the match.” — AFP

Portugal's team players stand behind a banner paying tribute to Liverpool Portuguese forward Diogo Jota who died in yesterday's car crash in Spain. — AFP pic

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