Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate has revealed he has been battling depression after the deaths of his father and teammate Diogo Jota in the past year. The 25-year-old French international, speaking exclusively to UKPulse Media, described the period as 'the darkest of my life', adding that the grief left him unable to concentrate on training or matches.
Konate’s father passed away suddenly last autumn, and just months later, Portuguese forward Diogo Jota died from a rare cardiac event during a routine training session at the club’s AXA Training Centre. 'Losing my father was devastating, but then to lose Diogo – a brother on and off the pitch – it broke me,' Konate said. 'There were days I couldn’t get out of bed. I didn’t want to see anyone.'
The defender, who joined Liverpool from RB Leipzig in 2021, has since sought professional counselling and credits the club’s mental health support network for helping him return to the pitch. 'Liverpool gave me time and space. The manager, the lads – they surrounded me with love. Now I feel ready to play for them again,' he added. Konate is expected to be available for selection in Saturday’s Premier League clash against Aston Villa at Anfield.
Liverpool currently sit third in the Premier League table, five points behind leaders Arsenal. Konate’s return will be a boost for manager Arne Slot, who has had to rely on Virgil van Dijk and Jarell Quansah in central defence during the Frenchman’s absence. 'Ibrahima is a top professional and a wonderful human being,' Slot said in a statement. 'His courage in speaking about this is immense. We are all behind him.'
The tragedy has reignited debate around mental health support in elite sport. The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) has called for mandatory mental health training for all Premier League clubs, while Liverpool have confirmed they will expand their in-house wellbeing programme. 'No player should suffer in silence,' Konate said. 'If my story helps even one person, it’s worth sharing.'