Konaté opens up on tragic year
June 3, 2026 · 17:40 7 min read 11 views
France defender Ibrahima Konaté has spoken out about the difficulties he faced in a year marked by personal tragedy, including the deaths of his former Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota and his father. The France international's form on the pitch suffered as a result, but it was not until January, when his dad, Hamady, passed away after a long illness, that the full extent of his personal turmoil became clear.
The defender, who appears set to join Real Madrid after not renewing his Liverpool contract, said: “There are low points, there’s depression - you can suffer from it in football too, and there's no need to be ashamed to admit it. Depression is a personal issue; it's deeply ingrained. When you're depressed, it starts in the heart, spreads to the brain, and takes over your whole body. For me, that's the hardest part, and we need to discuss it.”
On the crash that killed his neighbour Jota and Jota’s brother, André Silva, on the eve of pre-season training, Konaté said: “It left me devastated. At that point, I had no interest in anything else. You have to go back to football because you have no choice - we're employees with duties to fulfill. We had no choice but to get back on the field and play for him, his family, and ourselves. You never get over it, but you learn to cope.”
Konaté was also shouldering the burden of knowing his father was seriously ill. “I was unsure what to do - whether I should go home and stop playing, because the team needed me too. I didn't know who to turn to, so I kept it all to myself. My advice would be to talk to those around you when you're feeling down - it can help. I didn't talk about it and kept it to myself. The doctors then told us he didn't have long to live, but we didn't know it would happen so quickly.”
While on compassionate leave, Konaté called Liverpool's then head coach, Arne Slot, to say he was returning to help the team in a defensive injury crisis, and he scored on an emotional comeback against Newcastle at Anfield. However, the centre-back knew things were not right. “There was never a moment when I felt like I was recovering - all these tragic events happened so quickly, and as soon as I felt like I was getting my head above water, something else happened. I had the support of the fans, my teammates, and 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.”
In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email jo@ samaritans.org. You can contact the mental health charity Mind by calling 0300 123 3393 or visiting mind.org.uk
The defender, who appears set to join Real Madrid after not renewing his Liverpool contract, said: “There are low points, there’s depression - you can suffer from it in football too, and there's no need to be ashamed to admit it. Depression is a personal issue; it's deeply ingrained. When you're depressed, it starts in the heart, spreads to the brain, and takes over your whole body. For me, that's the hardest part, and we need to discuss it.”
On the crash that killed his neighbour Jota and Jota’s brother, André Silva, on the eve of pre-season training, Konaté said: “It left me devastated. At that point, I had no interest in anything else. You have to go back to football because you have no choice - we're employees with duties to fulfill. We had no choice but to get back on the field and play for him, his family, and ourselves. You never get over it, but you learn to cope.”
Konaté was also shouldering the burden of knowing his father was seriously ill. “I was unsure what to do - whether I should go home and stop playing, because the team needed me too. I didn't know who to turn to, so I kept it all to myself. My advice would be to talk to those around you when you're feeling down - it can help. I didn't talk about it and kept it to myself. The doctors then told us he didn't have long to live, but we didn't know it would happen so quickly.”
While on compassionate leave, Konaté called Liverpool's then head coach, Arne Slot, to say he was returning to help the team in a defensive injury crisis, and he scored on an emotional comeback against Newcastle at Anfield. However, the centre-back knew things were not right. “There was never a moment when I felt like I was recovering - all these tragic events happened so quickly, and as soon as I felt like I was getting my head above water, something else happened. I had the support of the fans, my teammates, and 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.”
In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email jo@ samaritans.org. You can contact the mental health charity Mind by calling 0300 123 3393 or visiting mind.org.uk