Following the tragic death of star forward Diogo Jota, Liverpool’s players are being urged to openly confront their grief as they prepare for the new season.
Former Arsenal and Manchester City defender Bacary Sagna emphasized the importance of emotional processing, drawing on his own experience with loss.
Jota, 28, and his brother, Andre Silva, died in a car crash on July 3. Many Liverpool squad members attended the funeral in Portugal before returning to pre-season training.
Sagna, who lost his own brother in 2008, highlighted the constant reminders of Jota’s absence within the team, stating to CNN: “They will constantly think about it… I clearly advise them to speak up. We are human beings first.”
He stressed the deep bonds formed within a team, where players often spend more time together than with family.
Recounting his own struggles after loss, Sagna admitted to making “schoolboy mistakes” and feeling his “brain was in slow motion.”
He urged Liverpool players to consider counselling, noting his personal relief after seeking help: “I felt light after this, and I was like, ‘Why didn’t I go and open up earlier?’”
