Empire of the Kop
·9 July 2025
Diogo Jota tifo raised in Iraq as stadium joins global tributes

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Yahoo sportsEmpire of the Kop
·9 July 2025
The memory of Diogo Jota continues to resonate far beyond Liverpool, as a powerful tribute from fans of Zakho SC in Iraq captured global attention.
Image via @ismaeelmahmoudd on X
During a recent match, supporters of Zakho SC unveiled a striking stadium tifo in honour of the late Portugal international, who tragically died alongside his brother Andre Silva in a car accident on 3 July.
The banner, shared by journalist Ismael Mahmoud on X, features a large image of Jota in his Liverpool kit, hand over heart, surrounded by club badges, national flags and a lion crest.
The message reads in English and Arabic: “Jota… death take you away from us but you will stay alive in our hearts.”
Above the main image is a photo of the 28-year-old smiling, alongside the words: “R.I.P Diogo Jota – 1996 to 2025.”
It’s one of many tributes continuing to emerge around the world in the days since his passing, from the flowers left outside the official Liverpool FC Store in Dublin, to the red-and-white number 20 displays in Belfast and the touching tributes at the AXA Training Centre.
(Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Liverpool players returned to training this week as preparations for the new season began under Arne Slot.
The club postponed the original return date to allow players and staff to attend Jota’s funeral in Gondomar, Portugal.
Arne Slot and Michael Edwards also made personal visits to Anfield to lay flowers, as did Andy Robertson and former captain Jordan Henderson.
While Liverpool continue to mourn one of our own, gestures like this from Zakho SC are a powerful reminder of Jota’s wide-reaching legacy.
He wasn’t just one of the most instinctive finishers we’ve had in years – he was, and remains, a player respected across cultures, countries and clubs.