“Every time I go on the pitch, I think of it” - Manchester United star says he’s still haunted by permanent reminders of Diogo Jota’s death

Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot is yet to come to terms with his namesake Diogo Jota's untimely demise in a car accident last month while on his way to pre-season training with Liverpool.

Jota and his younger brother, Andre, were on their way to the port city of Santander when their Lamborghini, while attempting an overtake, had a tyre blowout, veered off road and burst into flames in Zamora.

Many from the footballing fraternity, including Unted captain Bruno Fernandes and Dalot, attended the funerals of the two brothers. It's been nearly a month since the tragic incident, but Dalot said that he still gets nightmares about it.

“It's tough to talk about it, but it was a tough week for me, for every teammate that played with him," Dalot said (as per Sun). "I cannot imagine what the family went through. I had the opportunity to see them and it's just tough. There aren’t any words to describe it when such a tragedy happens like that.

He added:

“It hits you. I felt that everybody, the whole world felt it, even if they didn't know him personally. It's just a tragedy. Every time I go on the pitch, I think of it. Even today I saw shirts with his name. He will be remembered forever and he deserves that because he was a great man, a great teammate.

“Diogo was someone that I would say was a role model for me because I always like to see a player's behaviour when they play and when you don't play."

Dalot concluded:

“He was always the guy that was thinking and putting the team first. So I will always remember him like that. Hopefully he's at peace now and resting where he is.”

Dalot and Jota were teammates with the Portugal national team and won the Nations League this summer, beating Spain on penalties in the final.

How have Manchester United fared in pre-season so far

Manchester United are coming off one of their worst seasons in decades, finishing a lowly 15th in the Premier League despite reaching the UEFA Europa League final, losing 1-0 to fellow domestic strugglers Tottenham Hotspur.

Ruben Amorim's side started their pre-season with a win and a defeat in two friendlies in May, losing 1-0 to Asean All Stars before beating Hong Kong 3-1. Following a seven-week break, the Red Devils drew goalless with reigning Championship winners Leeds United on July 19 before beating West Ham United 2-1 eight days later.

Manchester United then beat Bournemouth 4-1 on July 31, with four different players, including striker Rasmus Hojlund getting on the scoresheet, in Chicago. Their next two friendlies are against Everton in Atlanta on Sunday (August 3) before they wind up their pre-season at Old Trafford with a clash against Fiorentina six days later.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 20 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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