Liverpool vs Preston pre-season friendly to go ahead after Diogo Jota death

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Evening Standard

·9 Juli 2025

Liverpool vs Preston pre-season friendly to go ahead after Diogo Jota death

The Premier League champions’ first game of the summer will be broadcast on ITV1

Liverpool’s first pre-season friendly against Preston will go ahead as planned this weekend.

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The club discussed whether to cancel the game at Deepdale on Sunday following the death of Diogo Jota last week.

But Standard Sport can confirm Liverpool have decided to fulfil the fixture, which is set to include first-team players following their return to training this week.

The friendly, Liverpool’s first of pre-season, takes place at Preston’s Deepdale stadium on Sunday, July 13. Kick-off is at 3pm.

The match will be broadcast on free-to-air TV on ITV1, with coverage scheduled to start at 2.50pm BST. The game is expected to be a sell-out.

Preston remain in conversation with Liverpool about how best to honour Jota this weekend, with plans yet to be finalised.

Tributes to Diogo Jota at Liverpool’s training ground

Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Liverpool's first-team squad were originally scheduled to return to pre-season training with a small contingent of players last Friday, July 4, before welcoming the whole group back on Monday, July 7.

However, in the wake of Jota's tragic death in a car crash, Liverpool postponed the start of pre-season until Tuesday, July 8.

Many of Jota's Liverpool team-mates and staff attended his funeral in Gondomar, near Porto last Saturday, with the club allowing extra time off in order to process his passing.

Liverpool's new signings, Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Milos Kerkez reported to training at the club's Melwood base and could feature against Preston.

The Reds, who will play FA Cup winners Crystal Palace in the Community Shield on August 10, after facing AC Milan in Hong Kong and J1 League side Yokohama in Japan at the end of July.