The world of football is still in mourning over the tragic death of Liverpool star Diogo Jota. A recent interview with Beto, who plays for rivals Everton, has highlighted just how special the player was on a human level.
The striker moved to Merseyside in the summer of 2023, joining the Toffees from Torino. He didn’t know Jota at the time, but his Portuguese compatriot went out of his way to make Beto feel welcome in his new environment.
Speaking in a recent interview with the Times, the Everton star reflected on his interaction with Jota and how his death helped bring two fanbases together, despite a very intense on-field rivalry.
Jota Was First Portugal Star To Reach out To Beto After His Everton Move
Having just completed his move to the Premier League, Beto noticed a personal message that had been sent to his Instagram account. It came from Jota:
“I’m happy for you. If you need anything in the city, I can help you. Just give me a shout.”
Despite having never met before, and despite Beto joining a rival club, Jota went out of his way to make the striker feel at home in a new country. Beto recalled:
“Of all the big names from Portugal that play in England, he was the first one to text me. The day I signed or the next day.
“You have Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes and he was the first guy, the first person.”
He explained how Jota continued to look out for his fellow Portuguese, noting that the Liverpool man would seek him out after games, just for a quick word. “We were not friends but, you know, when you play against Portuguese players and everything, we normally stop, we speak a little bit,” Beto said.
“After every game that we play against Liverpool, we talk a little bit. I ask, ‘How is everything?’ Not just because he was Portuguese, but he was a really, really nice person. Humble. And you can see what everyone says about him.”
Beto: ‘Diogo was a really good guy’
Jota’s death came on 2 July 2025, just as Beto was preparing to return to Everton after his summer break. He recalled the horrific moment he heard the news, saying: “The day that thing happened, I was at home in Portugal. That day I would travel to Manchester to come here for the pre-season. And I was shocked. I was shocked because Diogo was a really good guy.”
Beto and another Portuguese player at Everton, Youssef Chermiti (now at Rangers) would join club ambassador Ian Snodin in laying floral wreaths beside an Everton scarf that lay amid the vast carpet of tributes outside the Main Stand. They also signed the book of condolence.
Beto spoke about how the tragedy helped bring the city together, “I saw a togetherness between Everton and Liverpool. Between clubs, but more between fans, you know? A lot of Everton fans were sad because even if he’s a rival, he’s more than football. It’s life. Life is more than football.
“I love the Scousers, to be honest, because they are really, really nice people. Sometimes they’re going to hate you. It’s not hate, but they’re going to dislike you just because you play for the rival. It’s normal. For me, it’s OK. Sometimes they say, ‘Beto, you’re shit. [Virgil] van Dijk is going to do this to you. We’re going to batter you guys. We’re going to do this.’ But when it mattered, when it was about life, they were there [together] because they are human.
“If I go to Anfield and they boo me or they whistle to me, it’s normal. They’re not going to be thinking, ‘Oh, Beto is a good guy because he went to lay flowers for Diogo.’ It’s not the same. They go there for football.”