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Chelsea star Pedro Neto has penned an emotional tribute to Liverpool star Diogo Jota ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain. The Portuguese star wants to win the game against PSG for the 28-year-old. The latter tragically passed away, along with his brother Andre, earlier this month in a car accident.
Writing on the Chelsea website, Neto recalled how Jota helped him settle in England when he joined Wolverhampton Wanderers from Lazio in 2019. The winger heaped praise on the late Liverpool star. He added that the Portuguese group at the Molineux were always in touch and believes that Jota will always be with him. He wrote:
"When I step onto the pitch on Sunday, know that I want to win this competition for Diogo Jota. He will always be with me. He will always be remembered. My thoughts are still with him, his brother Andre Silva, and their families. It's such a difficult moment. Diogo immediately stood out to me when I came to England. I was very young and arriving in a new country, and he was one of the key players at Wolves. But he helped me and my family a lot, and I learned so much from him about life and football."
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"Diogo was part of our group of Portuguese players – there were quite a lot of us! Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, Ruben Vinagre, Rui Patricio, myself, and Diogo. We were so close and spent a lot of time together off the pitch. We are still in contact now and these guys, and the memories I have, will stay with me for the rest of my life. It's why it's so tough to now be without Diogo. He was a warrior, a guy who would always be ready to fight for you. Yet he had this big smile and his laugh…it is one of the things that I will always remember. It will be my second final with Chelsea, and we can be crowned world champions. That is the focus. I want to win. I want to win it for Diogo."
Pedro Neto went on to reveal that he spoke to Enzo Maresca soon after hearing the news. He said that the Chelsea manager gave him the freedom to decide if he was ready to play against Palmeiras in the quarterfinals of the FIFA Club World Cup. The Portuguese star did not train the day before the game, but started the match before coming off in the 87th minute while his side were leading 2-1.
Chelsea star Pedro Neto and Diogo Jota played together for club and country
Pedro Neto and Diogo Jota were together at Wolverhampton before going their separate ways and moving to Chelsea and Liverpool, respectively. They played just one season together at the Molineux before Liverpool signed up Jota.
They played 14 matches together for Wolves, combining just once for a goal. Pedro Neto assisted the first goal for Diogo Jota in the 4-0 win over Besiktas, as he went on to score an 11-minute hat-trick in the UEFA Europa League.
The Chelsea winger and the late Liverpool star also combined for one goal in their seven matches together for the national team. Once again, it was Jota who scored in the 3-1 win over Luxembourg in a FIFA World Cup Qualifier.
