Bacary Sagna lost his brother when he played for Arsenal in 2008 and told that the Reds said: “I advise them to speak. This is something I didn't do and it had an impact on me, so I know how it feels.”
Bacary Sagna knows out of painful experience how difficult it is to even try to play football after losing a loved one. The Frenchman tried and failed after his older brother, Omar, died a day before his 28th birthday in February 2008.
So Sagna has enormous sympathy for the Liverpool players who will try to concentrate their mind on sport after losing Diogo Jota, earlier this month.
“We are people at first,” said the ex-Arsenal and Manchester City Defender. “We spend more time with our fellow players than we spend with our own women and children. It will therefore be difficult. I don't see them performing as well as last season because they were first and foremost champions – and to reproduce that level of performance back to back is difficult.
“But it is much more important, after having lost someone in the club, a brother, I want to call him, I can't see it.
“So I have big, great support for his family, for his entourage, for his wife and children and for Liverpool Football Club. It's not easy.”
Portuguese attacker Jota and his brother Andre were killed in a car accident in North West Spain on July 3. His mourning teammates from Liverpool are back in the preseason and prepared for their sports obligations for their tears when the new Premier League season starts next month.
Sagna wishes him to give priority to therapy and emotional stability instead of continuing to play.
“I lost brother in 2008 when I was in Arsenal,” he said CNN. “It was my second season.” My brains were not here. I started making mistakes. Schoolboy mistakes. It was difficult to control the ball. My brain was in slow motion.
“So some players can come and get into the same mentality. They may not have their heads in football because they constantly think about it.
“In the dressing room, one space will be free. Lunch time will be one space for free. In the bus one space will be free. So I recommend them clearly to speak. This is something I didn't do and it had an impact on me, so I know how it feels.”
The dedication of Liverpool to the mental health of their players and staff remains unparalleled. A city that was used to dealing with trauma has wrapped its arms around a club. Now that Jota Wolves has among his former clubs, Sagna believes that the emotion will be felt much further than Anfield when the Premier League returns.
“I think it will have an impact on football in general,” he went on. “At the Premier League, about the approach of players of the game and on the road, the players will go back to their training sessions.
“Because he was loved as a person. Also respected.”
Sagna believes that counseling will be the key, because the players and employees of Liverpool try to understand everything.
“One hundred percent,” he added. “It may be a case of 'it's good', but you have to process it. You have to be open to it. The mistake I made was to prevent me from talking about it. I got upset, but it was a mistake – you have to let things before you can even perform and let your football come true.
“I was personally lucky because we had a psychologist at the Arsenal team at the time. When I lost my brother, my father called me unexpectedly. I remember that we had a match, a second place of the Champions League against AC Milan at home.
“I went back to France and I was just shocked. I didn't even cry much. I felt that I was in the matrix. I didn't know what was happening. I was shocked. My brain was paralyzed. I couldn't think anymore.
“Arsene Wenger was very supportive, the club and the players too. But when I came back I was wounded, against Chelsea. Nobody had tackled me. I think it was all related because the clearance I made when I hit the injury, I often made it. But on that occasion I was to do with my mental situation.
“I felt that on average I went back into the competition. Then you had the judgment of people who didn't know. But how could they know? I didn't explain it, I didn't say. But one day the club psychologist came to my room. He asked if he could come in and I left him.
“We were on the bed and I have something like:” Are you? ” I asked the questions instead of the other way around!
“He said,” The reason I come and visit you is that I see you have an empty look. ” I had something like: “What do you mean?” He said, “I've been supervising you for a while.” But why would you say that? “
“I learned a lot about myself at the time. I worked like a machine. I left home, went to training sessions, but I couldn't even tell you how I got there. He explained what a psychologist does and how I could identify myself as a person, how I can remember the past and change it in a positive way.
“So I believe that the players in Liverpool can try to do the same. It is so important.”
Sagna's breakthrough was all the more important because of the cultural barriers that prevented him from discussing his private life outside his direct circle.
“It's funny because I was against psychologists,” he continued. “So when people suggested that I would go to one, I thought,” Listen guys, do you want me to stand a stranger and tell him my story? He doesn't know me! ” 'Why would I open myself to a stranger who studied and learned from a book?
“That was my answer. But I can guarantee that you will feel love. Because they give you love, they understand you. It is an open book. We talk about life, we talk about many things and above all, I felt a relief. I felt lighter.
“I wondered why I didn't go before! But I didn't have the courage. I don't have the importance of speaking. But they meet so many people. They hear so many stories. It is really important.”