Liverpool defender Andy Robertson has revealed that the death of Diogo Jota had a profound impact on the team, saying the players temporarily lost their motivation and competitive edge following the tragedy.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Robertson said Jota’s death in a car crash in Spain in July 2025, which also claimed the life of his brother André Silva, left the Liverpool dressing room devastated.
Jota and Silva were travelling through Spain on their way back to England for pre-season preparations when the fatal crash occurred.
Robertson admitted that Liverpool struggled to focus on football after losing one of their closest friends and teammates.
“It’s really hard to describe, and it’s hard to talk about, because what we went through was so awful. If you talk about new signings, they came to a club that was already heartbroken.
“They tried hard, and that’s where I feel bad for these people. They signed for a high price, but it took them months to adapt because we simply didn’t care about football.
“That’s how it was. We didn’t care about football, because you had just lost one of your best friends in the dressing room.
“That’s also why, from a football perspective, I have so much sympathy for the new signings. I feel like they came to a team that had been at the top level in every aspect for many years, but because of what happened, we perhaps couldn’t maintain our previous state. Then they received a lot of criticism.
“So I think these players will definitely be fine at Liverpool. I will view this season as their first season.”
Robertson said the tragedy also affected the determination that had previously driven the squad.
“I think all players have that edge. Once you lose that edge, sometimes you can’t perform at your best. I think we lost our edge last season, and we also lost some determination, because there were times when we might have thought: ‘You know what, what’s the point of this anymore?’
“Look at what Jota’s family and his children are going through. But yes, we were grieving. Ultimately, he was our friend. To us, he wasn’t just a player, but a teammate, a friend.
“So it was extremely difficult for us. I attended his wedding a week before he passed. That’s one of the hardest things you’ll ever go through in your life. One week you see him on the happiest day of his life, and the next week you see his family torn apart.”
Liverpool subsequently endured a difficult campaign, finishing fifth in the Premier League. Robertson also praised manager Arne Slot for the way he handled the squad during the immediate aftermath of Jota’s death.
“We talked a lot during pre-season. The coach really did a good job. To be honest, we had almost no content in our pre-season training, because to be fair to Arne, his attitude was: ‘If you don’t want to train, then don’t train.’
“The club already had a psychologist, and he organized some groups. If people wanted to have a coffee and chat together, they could. We did it several times, and I think it helped, but that period was really difficult.
“We will always feel for his family and wife. Their lives were completely disrupted. We were heartbroken, but for them, every day must be hard, and it still is.
“I think we got through it together, and we always say: ‘We will always remember him.’ But ultimately, we still have to play football, there’s no choice. We tried our best, and that’s why last season was so difficult.”
Robertson acknowledged that the team’s results eventually attracted criticism but said the circumstances surrounding the squad should also be considered.
“Ultimately, football is about results, and we didn’t get enough results. That’s the truth.
“But if you go back to the previous summer, we had the biggest parade in Liverpool’s history. We rode on an open-top bus through the city center, and I think over a million people came out to see us. The next day, we shook hands and said goodbye, everyone went on holiday. The next time I saw all my teammates, we were already at the airport, preparing to go to Porto for Jota’s funeral.
“From the peak of lifting the Premier League trophy and parading in front of hundreds of thousands of fans, to then seeing the state of the staff and players, none of it was normal. What we went through wasn’t normal, so I think these factors should perhaps be taken into account.
“But as the season continued, we knew we had to do better, we needed to win. I also understand why there was external frustration later about how we played and our results.”
The Scotland international added that Liverpool’s early-season form initially masked some of the problems within the squad.
“At the start of the season, the coach really helped us a lot. He understood the situation at the time and didn’t put too much pressure on us during pre-season, nor did he push the competitive atmosphere too hard, so that no one would be in poor form that day.
“We had a slow start, but then we won the first 5 games, and everyone thought Liverpool was going to win the league again. When we won the first 5 games, we were probably just covering up problems. After the international break, the problems were exposed.”
