Ibrahima Konate, who plays for Liverpool, has revealed the reasons behind his performance decline in the 2025-26 season for the first time. The French defender stated that he struggled with depression after the tragic passing of his teammate Diogo Jota in a traffic accident, followed shortly by the loss of his father. In an interview with Radio France, the 27-year-old player emphasized that depression in football is still not well understood. Konate said, "Depression can also be experienced in football, and there is no shame in saying this. People only see the money we earn from the outside, but that is not true. Depression is personal and completely engulfs a person."

Konate expressed the devastation he felt after Jota's death, saying, "It destroyed me. I had no interest in anything during that time. But as a football player, you have to return to the field. You have your club and responsibilities. We continued to play for him and his family." He also mentioned that the situation of his father, who had been ill for a long time, deeply affected him. "I didn't know what to do. The team needed me, but so did my family. I didn’t talk to anyone and kept everything inside. That was my biggest mistake," he said.

Despite taking a short break during the second half of the season, Konate returned early to join the team, but he admitted that although he was physically on the field, he couldn't recover mentally. The player made 51 appearances for Liverpool throughout the season but struggled to reach his previous performance levels. As a member of the French national team, Konate noted that the recovery process after his losses was not easy, stating, "I never felt that I completely healed. But I received support and had to learn to get back on my feet."