Liverpool defender Konate reveals depression after Jota and father deaths in 2025-26

Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate reveals he battled depression after the deaths of teammate Diogo Jota and his father in the 2025-26 season.

Konate's personal struggles Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate has shared how the losses of teammate Diogo Jota and his own father plunged him into a battle with depression during his final season at the club. Portugal striker Jota and his brother Andre Silva died tragically in a car accident last July, while Konate's father Hamady passed away in January after a prolonged illness. His performance on the pitch visibly suffered during his last campaign at Anfield, and the 27-year-old now describes the emotional turmoil he endured. 'There are low points, there's depression. You can suffer from depression in football too; there's no need to be ashamed to say so,' he explained to France Inter radio. ## Depression's impact in football Konate emphasized that footballers can face depression just like anyone else, dismissing the idea that financial rewards make such struggles unrealistic. 'It's true that I've often heard players say they were suffering from depression and that fans or people on the outside didn't understand because they were earning a lot of money. But no, that's rubbish and you shouldn't say that,' he stated. 'Depression is personal; it's deep inside you. When you're depressed, it starts in the heart, goes up to the brain and takes over your whole body. For me, that's what's hard, and we need to talk about it.' ## Jota's death shattered Konate The sudden death of teammate Diogo Jota, who had been one of his neighbors during his time in Liverpool, had a devastating effect on Konate. 'It devastated me. I didn't have any interest in anything else at that point,' he recalled. Football duties forced him back onto the pitch despite the grief. 'You go back to football because you have no choice. We're employees at a club that pays us every month, so we have duties,' he explained. 'We had no choice but to go back on the field and play for him and his family – as well as ourselves. There's no way of getting over it, but you learn to live with it.' ## Father's illness added to burden During the same difficult period, Konate carried the weight of his father's serious illness without knowing how to respond. 'I didn't know what to do. I didn't know whether I should go home and stop playing, because the team needed me too,' he admitted. Seeking solitude only worsened his isolation. 'I didn't know who to talk to about it, so I kept it all to myself,' he said. 'The doctors then told us he didn't have long to live, but we didn't know it would happen so quickly.' ## Early return from leave worsened strain Konate returned early from compassionate leave to help Liverpool avoid a defensive crisis at the end of January, though he admitted performance never fully recovered. Over the 2025-26 season, he featured 51 times, starting 49 games, but struggled to replicate the consistency of his previous four seasons at Anfield as Liverpool finished fifth in the Premier League. ## Mixed emotions and recovery Konate, capped 27 times for France, reflected on the relentless nature of his struggles during that season. 'There was never a moment when I felt like I was on the mend,' he said. 'All of these tragic events happened so quickly and as soon as I felt like I was getting my head above water, something else happened.' Despite the pain, he acknowledged support from fans, teammates, and family while learning to stand on his own again. ## Moving forward after tragedy Konate's comments come as he approaches a potential transfer to Real Madrid after confirming his departure from Liverpool this summer. He expressed that football duties compelled him to continue despite overwhelming grief. 'I had the support of all these fans, who are exceptional at Liverpool, my team-mates and especially my family but I also had to learn how to get back on my feet on my own because the team needed me more than ever and I know that my father would have wanted me to get back.'