Many people involved in football have professed their love of Football Manager in public, which has helped raise the profile of the game. In fact, one of the most significant reported fans of the game is the now sadly deceased former Liverpool star Diogo Jota.
In an interview with the official Football Manager website, Jota revealed his love of the game. In the interview, he disclosed his favourite teams to play as, his approach to recruitment and his favourite tactic to use, amongst other things. It was a highly interesting interview with somebody who was obviously passionate about Football Manager.
Gone but not forgotten
As most people will know, Jota and his brother André Silva sadly passed away on July 3rd 2025, after a car crash in Spain on a family trip. It was one of the biggest footballing tragedies of recent years. He was just 28 years of age.
He enjoyed a highly successful football career, and today we will pay tribute to the former Portuguese international by looking back at his time as a player.
The beginnings of a star
Jota was born on 4th December 1996 in Porto, Portugal. He developed a passion early in his life, playing for his local club, Gondomar, from the age of nine until he was 17. Numerous big scouts scouted the youngster, but turned down the opportunity to sign Jota because of his diminutive stature.
However, Paços de Ferreira saw the qualities the young Jota possessed, and at 17, he joined the club’s youth ranks, where he initially played before joining the first-team squad in the 2014/15 season.
He shone in the first team, scoring 15 goals in 45 appearances across all competitions over two seasons. His performance in the second tier attracted interest from more high-profile European clubs.
A successful start in foreign climes
Jota impressed so much that he earned a move to Spanish giants Atletico Madrid in 2016. However, he never actually appeared for the club from the Spanish capital. He returned to his homeland, joining FC Porto in a season-long loan deal.
He enjoyed a fruitful 2016/17 campaign with the club, scoring nine times in 37 appearances in all competitions. His next move was a pivotal one, as the forward joined then-Championship Wolves on loan.
Jota played a pivotal role in helping the club from the Midlands win promotion back to the Premier League, as he notched 18 goals in 46 competitive appearances, with 17 of his goals coming in the English second-tier.
In the January transfer window of 2018, it was reported that his move would be made permanent in the summer of 2018, with Wolves paying a fee of €14 million to acquire the player. Jota spent two more seasons with the Midlands club, ending his Wolves career having scored 44 times in his 131 competitive appearances over his three-year spell.
A big move and a trophy-laden spell
In September 2020, Diogo Jota made a move to Merseyside giants Liverpool, which cost a fee of around £45m with add-ons. The move would lead to the Portuguese international picking up an impressive collection of silverware.
He played a role in Liverpool winning the Premier League title in the 2024/25 season, the FA Cup in 2021/22 and also the League Cup in the same campaign. He was also a Champions League runner-up in the 2021/22 campaign, as Liverpool suffered defeat to Spanish behemoths Real Madrid in the final.
Over his five seasons with the Reds, the forward made 182 appearances in all competitions, scoring a highly respectable 65 goals in the process.
Having made his international debut for Portugal in 2019, Jota went on to make 49 appearances for his national team, scoring 14 times. Jota’s international career included featuring in the European Championships and Nations League. Unfortunately, he missed the 2022 World Cup through injury.
Remembered by millions around the world
Jota’s passing was not just mourned by friends and family or those connected to the teams he played for. Millions of people around the world mourned him. His death was a stark reminder that although we love football and Football Manager, they are just games.
Club allegiances were put to one side, as, unlike what former Liverpool boss Bill Shankly once said, Football is not bigger than life and death.
No doubt Diogo Jota would have been amongst those playing FM26 most fervently if he were still amongst us. His death just reminded everybody that life is short, so make the most of it.
RIP Diogo Jota and André Silva
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