Liverpool’s first pre-season friendly against has been confirmed in the wake of the tragic death of Diogo Jota and his younger brother, André Silva.
The fixture at Deepdale against Preston North End will go ahead as planned following sensitive discussions between both clubs.
The match, which kicks off at 3pm, will be broadcast live on ITV1 this marks Liverpool’s first match since the devastating accident that claimed the lives of the Portuguese brothers in Spain last Thursday. The game’s status had been uncertain, but a decision to proceed was taken after players and staff at Liverpool were consulted upon their return to the AXA Training Centre in Kirkby on Tuesday.
it’s understood by the Liverpool ECHO that both Liverpool and Preston North End were in close contact over recent days, weighing up how to handle such a delicate situation. Ultimately, with the support of the Reds’ squad and staff, the match will go ahead and fitting tributes are expected to be paid to the late Anfield forward and his brother.
Jota, 28, and André, 25, were killed while travelling by car through Spain, en-route to a ferry crossing back to the UK for the start of Liverpool’s 2025–26 pre-season. The news sent shockwaves throughout the footballing world and left Liverpool’s preparations for the new campaign paused in mourning.
On Saturday, hundreds of mourners gathered in Jota’s hometown of Gondomar Portugal for an emotional funeral service. Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, left back Andy Robertson, and head coach Arne Slot were among those in attendance, alongside a number of teammates and club officials, with Robertson and Van Dijk were seen carrying floral tributes into the church.
It was a service made even more heartbreaking by the fact that Jota had only married his long term partner Rute Cardoso 13 days earlier and the couple shared three children.
The club also held a special remembrance programme on Monday evening, celebrating Jota’s life through emotional messages from fans, teammates, and prominent football figures.
Despite the emotional weight hanging over the club, the match against Preston will serve as the beginning for the Premier League Champions return to competitive football with heavy hearts. Preston, who began their pre-season campaign with a narrow 2-1 loss to Bamber Bridge on July 8, are also expected to honour Jota and his brother in their own way during the weekend fixture.
ITV1 will air the game live, with coverage beginning at 2:50pm, and Joe Speight and former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock on commentary duties.
The decision to broadcast the match was made well in advance of the recent tragedy, with the Reds’ return to action as reigning Premier League champions originally set to be a celebratory occasion, but now it’s more significant it’s an emotional one.
Sunday will likely see summer signings Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, and Milos Kerkez feature for the first time in a Liverpool shirt. It will also be the start of a difficult new chapter for Arne Slot’s men — one shaped not only by ambition, but by the memory of a much loved teammate Diogo Jota their number 20.
