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Liverpool paid an emotional tribute to Diogo Jota prior to the Community Shield, but the referee was forced to cut short a pre-kick off silence. The message 'Forever 20' was embroidered onto the players' shirts and pre-match jackets for the meeting with Crystal Palace. A banner was also unfurled outside Wembley Stadium displaying Jota's Liverpool shirt. It is the Reds' latest match since the Portuguese's tragic death aged 28. Jota passed away alongside his brother Andre Silva in a car accident in Spain on July 3. Tributes have continued to be paid to the brothers by both Liverpool and the wider football community. The club retired Jota's shirt number as a mark of respect for their beloved forward. Meanwhile, supporters reduced several players to tears as they chanted his name after their friendly against Preston last month. Further tributes were paid against Athletic Bilbao on Monday in their first match at Anfield since Jota's death. He was honoured with the laying of wreaths prior to kick-off along with a powerful rendition of his song by the crowd. Wreaths were laid on the pitch once again before Sunday's match as fans sang 'You'll Never Walk Alone'. Liverpool legend Ian Rush and Palace chairman Steve Parish placed the tributes in front of the Reds fans before the players walked out. A minute's silence was also held ahead of kick-off, although it was interrupted by a small minority of Palace fans. The disruption was met with boos from the Liverpool fans, before referee Chris Kavanagh cut the minute's silence short. Reacting to the incident, talk SPORT's Adrian Durham said: "Well, it had to be turned into applause in the end, and understandably so. Maybe not everybody was on message at Wembley. " Reds supporters also paid tribute with an applause during the 20th minute of the match, the same as Jota's shirt number. New signing Jeremie Frimpong scored during the applause to restore Liverpool's lead. Hugo Ekitike had earlier opened the scoring just four minutes in before Jean-Philippe Mateta equalised from the penalty spot. Arne Slot's side face the FA Cup winners at Wembley in the traditional season curtain-raiser. Their Premier League campaign gets underway on Friday night at home to Bournemouth. © 2025 talk SPORT Limited
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