Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has expressed his disappointment after a minute's silence held in honor of Diogo Jota was disrupted by a small section of Crystal Palace fans ahead of the Community Shield match at Wembley Stadium on Sunday. Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, tragically passed away in a car accident in Spain on July 3rd.
The pre-match tribute included wreaths being laid on the pitch and a period of silence to commemorate the brothers. However, the silence was marred by shouting from a minority of fans in the Crystal Palace end, prompting referee Chris Kavanagh to cut it short. This disruption was met with boos from Liverpool supporters and attempts by other Crystal Palace fans to silence those disrespecting the tribute.
Van Dijk, speaking after Liverpool's penalty-shootout loss to Crystal Palace, voiced his unhappiness with the situation. "Yes, I am disappointed," he stated. "That is the only thing I can say. I don't know who did that, but there were plenty trying to shush it down, but obviously that doesn't help it". He acknowledged the difficulty in controlling the behavior of a large crowd, saying, "You can't control how many fans were here today? Was it 80,000 people? So, yeah, it is disappointing to hear that, but if that person or those persons can go home and be happy with themselves, then…".
Despite the disruption, tributes to Jota were also evident throughout the match. Liverpool fans displayed a white banner reading "Diogo J" with the forward's image and number 20. There was also a rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone". The club had previously announced that Liverpool players would wear a specially made "Forever 20" emblem on their shirts and stadium jackets for the entire 2025/26 season. Liverpool had also retired the No. 20 jersey in honor of Jota. During the game, fans applauded in the 20th minute in memory of Jota.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot also commented on the incident, taking a more diplomatic approach. "I am a positive person, and if I look at the respect that has been paid to them both from everywhere around the world, this is what I have in my head," Slot said. He added, "I don't think this was planned, or that this was the idea of the fan that made some noise. Maybe he wasn't aware of the fact that it was the minute of silence". Slot further suggested that other Palace fans tried to calm the disruptive individual, and he didn't believe there was any bad intention behind it. "So I don't think he had a bad intention, the guy or people that made noise. They tried to calm him down, but that was a bit noisy as well. And then our fans reacted, 'Hey, what's happening here?'".
Slot had previously expressed immense pride in how his team had dealt with Jota's passing, noting the tragedy's impact on everyone connected with the club. "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," he said.
