Konate Opens Up on Battling Depression After Deaths of Jota and His Father

France and former Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konaté has revealed he battled depression following two devastating personal losses last season — the sudden death of his Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota and the passing of his own father in January. Konaté cut short his compassionate leave to return and help Liverpool through an injury crisis, but admitted he was far from fully recovered. 'There was never a moment when I felt like I was on the mend. All these tragic events happened so quickly,' he said. The 27-year-old, who has since joined Real Madrid on a free transfer, is now part of France's 26-man World Cup squad under Didier Deschamps. His courageous openness has been widely praised across football.