We weren't interested in football for weeks.
'Liverpool legend' Andy Robertson (32) confessed feelings he had kept hidden. He looked back on the pain of losing his close teammate, the late Diogo Jota.
The British Telegraph on the 23rd (Korea time) published an exclusive interview with Robertson, saying, Andy Robertson interview: After Diogo's death, we didn't care about football. He looks back on the "horror" of losing a beloved teammate as he prepares to conclude his glittering Liverpool career.
Robertson will end his nine-year association with Liverpool at the end of this season. After putting on the Liverpool jersey in 2017, he has performed as one of Europe's top left backs, but he will leave the team when his contract expires without a renewal. Earlier, Liverpool announced, "Robertson will leave the team as an undisputed Liverpool legend who played a key role in the club's recent years of success."
The upcoming final league match against Brentford is expected to be Robertson's last game for Liverpool. He recalled, "We were all together on an unbelievable journey. Climbing that mountain together felt the best. As a team we started to click more and more. You could see everyone improving day by day. That was the best part. We intimidated opponents from inside the tunnel."
In fact, with Robertson Liverpool recorded two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, one Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Club World Cup, and one Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League. Last season they also topped Manchester City to become Premier League champions. But this season is different. Liverpool, uncharacteristically, has struggled and is barely holding on to fifth place in the league.
Robertson, without making excuses, mentioned Jota's name. Jota, who had been a key attacking player for Liverpool, and his brother André Silva died in an unexpected traffic accident in July last year. The two died at the scene after a traffic accident on the A-52 highway near Zamora, Spain.
At the time, the Lamborghini they were riding in veered off the road when a tire burst while overtaking another vehicle, and the car went up in flames. The vehicle burned completely, and both Jota and Silva died at the scene. The tragedy was especially poignant because it occurred just 10 days after Jota had married his long-time partner Lute Cardoso.
Robertson said, "This year did not go well for several reasons. It's an undeniable fact, and it's not an excuse. But when you think about what we went through in the summer, I hope no team or staff ever has to go through that again. In the horror we experienced... football was not important."
Robertson also explained the atmosphere at the time, saying, "We weren't interested in football for weeks. None of us wanted to train. That was the reality. Even when seeing the physios for treatment, they were so affected that they didn't want to treat people."
Nevertheless, Robertson and the Liverpool squad had to continue the season after the tragic accident. But everyone was emotionally devastated. Robertson recalled, "As footballers we had responsibilities. We had to keep moving forward, and in the end we did. The opening match against Bournemouth was incredibly emotional. Jota's family were all at the stadium."
He continued, "It was about the 20th minute (Jota's number 20). When Liverpool fans sang for Jota, you could see our performance drop because of the emotional impact. Even though we won 4-2. After that the season went up and down and lacked consistency."
It was Robertson's candid confession heard nearly a year later. The Telegraph noted, "Robertson reiterated that this is not an excuse. But listening to him, hearing his voice sometimes tremble slightly, provokes a lot of thought. Of course the results were poor and performances were inconsistent. But defeats in football can be corrected."
[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited), Liverpool, ESPN social media.
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