Diogo Dalot admits he was “hit for six” by Diogo Jota’s death | OneFootball

Diogo Dalot, in an interview with DAZN Portugal, reflected on 2025, with the most negative point being the death of his former national teammate Diogo Jota, who was a victim of a car accident in Zamora, Spain, accompanied by his brother André Silva.

"It was a difficult year, I would say it was tough emotionally, but I also look at it in a positive way. I ended up being happy in the summer with the Nations League victory. Then, life hit me hard with the loss of an important person [Diogo Jota]," recalled the versatile Manchester United full-back, aged 26, continuing:

"It was a big roller coaster, but I like to look at life that way, with challenges you have to overcome, with moments when you will be less confident. It's part of life, it's evolution, and I have to see it as something that will make me grow and be prepared for the future. It was a difficult year, but I like to see it as something that will better prepare me for what's to come," he assured.

In sports terms, Dalot experienced a challenging season at Manchester United, which finished the last Premier League edition in 15th place, outside of European competitions, and lost the Europa League final 0-1 to Tottenham.

In the current season, the Portuguese international regained the trust of Ruben Amorim in the national team, securing a spot among the starters despite harsh criticism.

"As a player, you can have all the talent in the world, I always say this, but you have to roll up your sleeves when the games get tough, and there are moments when you have to step up and say 'I'm going to do what I need to for my team.' There are many players, like Dalot, who don't do enough. I don't want to use the term sabotage, but they're not doing enough," said Roy Keane, after the 1-2 defeat to Aston Villa in the 17th round of the Premier League.

The Red Devils are in seventh place and still have two matches before the end of the calendar year: on the 26th, they host Newcastle, and four days later, Old Trafford will again host a match against Wolverhampton. In both games, midfielder and captain Bruno Fernandes will be absent, recovering from a muscle injury.

Center-back Harry Maguire is also injured, so the captain's armband is likely to go to Diogo Dalot, who has been with Manchester United since the 2018/19 season, having been signed from FC Porto.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.