Liverpool will put up a permanent tribute to former player Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, who died in a vehicle accident earlier this month, the Premier League champions announced on Saturday.
Jota and his brother died on July 3, 11 days after marrying their long-term partner, Rute Cardoso, when their car veered off the road and caught fire in northern Spain.
A great number of tributes in the form of flowers, scarves, cards, and jerseys have been left at Anfield, which Liverpool claimed will serve as the foundation for a permanent monument.
“The thousands of physical tributes outside Anfield have been gradually removed over the course of the last week and carefully separated and safely stored,” the club said in a statement.
“Floral tributes will then be composted and used in flower beds across all club sites.
“The remaining artefacts will be recycled by a specialist company and used to help create a permanent memorial sculpture that will become a future focal point of remembrance at Anfield.”
The club also announced that players’ shirts and stadium jackets will include a “Forever 20” logo, which references Jota’s now-retired shirt number.
Liverpool paid tribute to Jota and Silva during a friendly at Preston a fortnight ago, and their biggest commemoration will include a fan mosaic and a minute of silence before the new season begins on August 15 at home against Bournemouth.
