Andy Robertson has opened up about the devastating impact Diogo Jota’s death had on Liverpool’s players, admitting that football simply stopped mattering to the squad in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Jota and his brother, André Silva, tragically died in a car crash in July 2025, sending shockwaves through Liverpool, Portugal and the wider football community.
For those inside the Liverpool dressing room, however, the loss was far more personal.
Speaking on the latest episode of Stick to Football, Robertson revealed that the squad struggled to regain the competitive edge they had shown in previous seasons.
“We didn’t care about football. That was the truth of it. We didn’t care about football because we just lost one of our best mates in the changing room.”
Robertson explained that the situation was particularly difficult for Liverpool’s new signings, who arrived at the club while the dressing room was still dealing with immense grief.
“They’re coming into a club that is heartbroken, and they’re trying,” the former Liverpool left-back said.
He admitted that the players felt like “ghosts” for months as they attempted to cope with losing someone who was much more than a teammate.
Jota was a friend, a dressing-room companion and an important part of the Liverpool family.
Robertson also reflected on the competitive mentality that had helped Liverpool achieve success in previous campaigns, suggesting that the tragedy made it difficult for the squad to maintain that same determination.
“All footballers have that edge, don’t we, and I think when you lose that edge, sometimes you can’t perform to your best,” he explained.
“When I look back on it now, I think we lost the edge. I think we lost that determination a little bit, because I know at times we were going, ‘What’s the point?’”
The emotional toll was reportedly felt throughout the squad, with Mohamed Salah previously speaking about how difficult it was to return to Liverpool’s training ground following Jota’s death.
For the players, every match and training session was taking place against the backdrop of losing a close friend.
Robertson stressed that nobody at Liverpool should use Jota’s death as an excuse for disappointing results, but the circumstances provide important context for what the squad was experiencing.
The arrival of several new players made the situation even more complicated, as they were expected to adapt to a new club while joining a dressing room dealing with profound grief.
Despite the difficult circumstances, Liverpool managed to navigate the season and secure Champions League qualification.
Robertson’s comments offer a powerful reminder that, behind the results, statistics and criticism, Liverpool’s players were also dealing with an unimaginable personal loss.
For a group grieving the death of one of their closest friends, simply getting through the season was a significant achievement.
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