At the Community Shield between Crystal Palace and Liverpool, there was trouble surrounding the minute’s silence for Diogo Jota and his brother – which not everyone played down like Arne Slot.
The first competitive game of the new season started perfectly for Liverpool FC in sporting terms, given their early lead, but with an audible annoyance. The minute’s silence planned before Sunday’s Community Shield between the champions and reigning FA Cup winners Crystal Palace in honor of Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva had to be cut short.
A few Palace fans had disrupted the silence, which in turn provoked an angry reaction from other supporters, apparently from both sides. Referee Chris Kavanagh was then forced to blow his whistle again after only about 15 seconds, quickly ending the tribute.
“Yes, I’m disappointed,” Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said after the game, which the Reds lost 2-3 on penalties. “That’s all I can say about it. There were many attempts to suppress it, but obviously that didn’t work. It is what it is.” It is impossible to “control” such a setting – 82,645 spectators were at Wembley. Nevertheless, it is “disappointing,” van Dijk continued. “But if these people go home and are happy with themselves…”
Slot: “I am a positive person”
His coach, on the other hand, played down the incident. “I don’t think it was planned,” said Arne Slot. “Maybe the fan didn’t know about the minute’s silence and was just happy and wanted to cheer on his team, then the Palace fans tried to calm him down and our fans reacted to that. I don’t think the guy or guys had any bad intentions. I’m a positive person. I see the respect that Diogo and Andre get around the world.”
Diogo Jota, who joined the Reds in 2020, died in a car accident in Spain on July 3, along with his brother.
