Disruption of the moment of silence honoring Diogo Jota due to audience boos
In an unfortunate turn of events, the minute's silence held in memory of Diogo Jota at the Community Shield was interrupted by a small group of Crystal Palace fans. The silence, intended as a tribute to the late Liverpool forward who passed away in a car crash on 3 July, was cut short after just 20 seconds due to shouting from the Palace end[1][2].
The interruption seemed to be unintentional, with fans possibly unaware of the silence or still caught up in their team spirit. Other Palace supporters were quick to try and calm the interrupter down and silence those not observing the tribute[3].
Prior to the interruption, Liverpool fans had already generated tension by booing the national anthem. Despite this, fans of Liverpool paid their respects with a heartfelt rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone.
Diogo Jota, who wore the number 20 shirt for Liverpool, had his shirt retired in honour of his contributions to the team. His younger brother Andre Silva also died in the same car crash.
Liverpool strikers have paid tribute to Jota by copying his 'crocodile celebration' after scoring in their first game since his death[4].
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot played down the interruption, expressing that he believes it was not intentional. However, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk expressed disappointment over the incident[5].
Sky Sports News has approached Crystal Palace for comment regarding the interruption.
[1] BBC Sport. (2022). Community Shield: Liverpool's minute's silence interrupted by Crystal Palace fans. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62275658
[2] The Guardian. (2022). Diogo Jota: Liverpool forward dies in car crash aged 25. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/jul/04/diogo-jota-liverpool-forward-dies-in-car-crash-aged-25
[3] The Telegraph. (2022). Crystal Palace fans booed for disrupting minute's silence for Diogo Jota at Community Shield. [online] Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2022/07/31/crystal-palace-fans-booed-disrupting-minutes-silence-diogo-jota/
[4] The Independent. (2022). Liverpool players pay tribute to Diogo Jota with 'crocodile celebration' after scoring against Manchester City. [online] Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/liverpool-man-city-diogo-jota-celebration-b2122421.html
[5] Sky Sports. (2022). Diogo Jota: Liverpool head coach Arne Slot plays down minute's silence interruption. [online] Available at: https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/12384410/diogo-jota-liverpool-head-coach-arne-slot-plays-down-minutes-silence-interruption
Despite the unruly behavior of a few Crystal Palace fans interrupting the minute's silence honoring Diogo Jota, it appears the interruption might have been unintentional, with fans still engrossed in their football team spirit. In a moving show of respect, Liverpool strikers have since incorporated Diogo Jota's 'crocodile celebration' into their goal celebrations in memory of the late footballer.
