France defender Ibrahima Konate said Wednesday he battled depression while continuing his football duties following the deaths of Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota and his own father.
Portugal forward Jota and his brother Andre Silva died in a car crash last July, while Konate’s father, Hamady, died in January after a long illness.
“There are low points, there’s depression. You can suffer from depression in football too, and there’s no need to be ashamed to say so,” Konate told France Inter radio.
“It’s true I’ve often heard players say they were suffering from depression and people on the outside not understanding because they were earning a lot of money. But that’s rubbish, and you shouldn’t say that.”
The 27-year-old, who confirmed earlier this week he will leave Liverpool this summer, said Jota’s death took a heavy toll.
