Bacary Sagna suggests opening up may help Liverpool players 'process' Diogo Jota's death and admits grief 'paralysed' him during Arsenal career
Published 17/07/2025 at 16:45 GMT+1
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Bacary Sagna has suggested Liverpool players may better "process" Diogo Jota's death by speaking about their loss. Liverpool enter the new season grieving team-mate Jota, who was killed alongside his brother Andre Silva in a car crash on July 3. Sagna admitted that the loss of his brother in 2008 impacted his Arsenal career, and that he felt "relief" upon speaking to a professional.
Sagna urges Liverpool players to 'speak up' in wake of Jota passing
Video credit: TNT Sports
Bacary Sagna has revealed how grief affected his Arsenal career, and suggested Liverpool players may better "process" Diogo Jota's death by speaking about their loss.
Liverpool enter the new campaign grieving team-mate Jota, who was killed alongside his brother Andre Silva in a car crash on July 3 in the Spanish province of Zamora.
Sagna, whose brother Omar died at 28 in February 2008, acknowledged the impact Jota’s passing will have on his team-mates, and suggested that Arne Slot’s side "open up" and speak about the loss.
"They need to process it," Sagna told CNN. "They need to open up about it. The mistake I made was to try and avoid talking about it. I was getting upset. But it was a mistake.
"You have to let things out before you can perform in football.
"We should not forget. We should always remember who the player was. The family will always bring up his memory. The team can maybe try to use this experience to get stronger and use it in every single game."
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Sagna's brother Omar died in February 2008.
Image credit: Getty Images
Sagna continued: "I lost my brother when I joined Arsenal in 2008. My brain was not here. It was my second season.
"So some of the Liverpool players might have the same mindset, they might not have their head in football because they will constantly be thinking about [Jota].
"In the dressing room, one space will be free. At lunchtime, one space will be free. On the team bus, one space will be free. So I advise them to speak up, first of all, [which is something] I didn't do. It had an impact on me, so I know how it feels."
Sagna said the death of his brother left his brain "paralysed", and insisted it was only natural for Premier League champions Liverpool to experience some sort of drop-off in the wake of Jota’s death.
"It was like a matrix," Sagna said. "I didn't know what was happening. I was shocked. My brain was paralysed. I could not think anymore. I didn’t feel right."
The 65-cap France international added: "I was upset at myself because I had the feeling that I went from being the best right-back in the league to average. And then you have the judgement of people who, of course, don’t know.
"I didn't explain, I didn't speak out, so people didn't know. They could not recognise me.
"I was like a machine. I was leaving home, going to training sessions. I could not even remember the way I went. It was like I left [the house] and arrived after one minute. I was not here."
Upon being approached by Arsenal’s then sports physiologist, Sagna spoke about his grief and for the first time felt "relief".
The 42-year-old recalled: "He explained to me [...] how I can remember the past and turn it into a positive, so I believe the players at Liverpool should maybe try to do the same.
"It's funny because I was against psychologists. Why would I open up to a stranger that has just studied and learnt from a book?
"But I can guarantee you just feel the love because it's giving you love. They are understanding. They understand you.
"We talked about life, we talked about many things, and most importantly, I felt a relief, you know. I felt light after this, and I thought, ‘Why didn't I open up earlier?’ I didn't have the courage, I didn't measure the importance of speaking up."
For help and support, contact Samaritans on 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org/
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