Ibrahima Konate bravely speaks out on losing Diogo Jota and his father

Departing Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate has bravely spoken out about the deaths of his former team-mate Diogo Jota and his father, Hamady, in an emotional interview.

Konate, who will leave Liverpool upon the expiry of his contract later in June, has bared all in an open conversation about the struggles he faced during his final season at Anfield.

The France international said that “there’s no need to be ashamed to say” you are struggling when explaining how even footballers “suffer from depression”, when detailing how he felt last season.

"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,” he told French outlet Inter Radio.

“But no, that's rubbish and you shouldn't say that.

"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."

The 27-year-old then said that the death of his team-mate and neighbour Jota, who died in a car crash alongside his brother Andre Silva in July 2025, “devastated” him despite being left “no choice” but to carry on playing.

“I didn't have any interest in anything else at that point," Konate said.

"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.

"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."

While grieving Jota, Konate also had to cope with the fact his father Hamady was seriously ill, with the defender admitting he was unsure whether to “go home and stop playing” during this period.

"I didn't know who to talk to about it, so I kept it all to myself,” he added. “And this is the advice I'd give to everyone: when you're feeling down or something's going on, you need to talk to those around you.

"It can help you and do you good. 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."

Hamady passed away in January, with Konate going on compassionate leave for three matches before he returned early amid an injury crisis, scoring in a 4-1 win over Newcastle in his first game back.

Despite returning to action, Konate admitted that he never felt right following Jota and his father’s death.

"There was never a moment when I felt like I was on the mend," he added.

"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.

"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."

Konate is expected to join Real Madrid this summer.

If you're experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone.