Sports
Ibrahima Konate Reveals Impact of Diogo Jota’s Death
To put it simply, Liverpool had a very poor season in 2025/26. They finished fifth in the Premier League, having been the reigning champions, and failed to make it beyond the quarter-finals in any of the cup competitions.
As a result, head coach Arne Slot was sacked in May, and the club are looking to push forward and appoint Andoni Iraola as his replacement. However, there was one huge mitigating factor to consider when discarding the club’s disappointing campaign.
That was, of course, the tragic death of Diogo Jota. The Liverpool star was killed in a car crash along with his brother Andre Silva on 3 July 2025. It sent shockwaves through the football community, and one of his teammates has now opened up on the impact it had on him.
Ibrahima Konate: ‘Diogo Jota’s Death Devastated Me’
Ibrahima Konate was a key player for the Reds in 2025/26, playing 51 games in total, only missing two Premier League games. However, his form was shaky at times, and he certainly wasn’t as consistent as he had been in the club’s title-winning campaign a year before.
It’s no surprise that his best football was not forthcoming after Jota’s death completely disrupted his summer, which should have been spent recuperating. He wasn’t the only Liverpool star to struggle either, and the Frenchman opened up on how hard it was to focus on sport after the tragic loss of his teammate. Speaking on France Inter radio station, via Daily Mail, Konate said:
“Even today it’s hard to believe. His locker was still there in the dressing room, and every day when I was going to training he was coming with us. I remember when I found out when I was in Los Angeles and I couldn’t believe it. It devastated me.
“I didn’t have any interest in anything else at that point. It was the last person anyone would have chosen this to happen to. He didn’t care about anything. He just wanted to be happy and to have a good time with his teammates and his family. He wasn’t interested in fame.
“He was my neighbour as well, so I shared a few more moments with him. It was something powerful that happened to all of us.”
Konate went on to discuss how hard it was to focus his mind on football, but felt that he owed it to Jota and his family, as well as the club’s fanbase. He added: “You go back to football because you have no choice.
“We’re employees at a club that pays us every month, so we have duties. I think every fan was affected by this too, and I think all that we can do to help them is by winning games. We had no choice but to go back on the field and play for him and his family – as well as ourselves. There’s no way of getting over it, but you learn to live with it.”
Konate Also Lost His Father During the Season
Making the season even more difficult on a personal level, the 27-year-old revealed that his father, Hamady Konate, had been struggling with his health at a similar time and then passed away in January. The French defender recalled:
“I’ve never spoken about it before, but it’s true that at the start of the season, my father was in hospital for several weeks. And actually, in my situation, I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know whether I should go home and stop playing, because the team needed me too.
“I didn’t know who to talk to about it, so I kept it all to myself. And this is the advice I’d give to everyone listening: when you’re feeling down or something’s going on, you need to talk to those around you. It can help you and do you good. I didn’t talk about it and kept it to myself.
“The doctors then told us he didn’t have long to live, but we didn’t know it would happen so quickly.”
He stayed available for the club for essentially the whole playing 36 times in the Premier League, only missing one game against Bournemouth on special leave for his father. Konate spoke about the toll it has taken on him, noting: TThere was never a moment when I felt like I was on the mend. All of these tragic events happened so quickly and, as soon as I felt like I was getting my head above water, something else happened. But then I had the support of all these fans, who are exceptional at Liverpool.
“My teammates and especially my family, but I also had to learn how to get back on my feet on my own because the team needed me more than ever. And I told myself that it happens to everyone every day, and I know that my father would have wanted me to get back.”
Konate – who is now leaving Liverpool following the expiry of his contract, and looks set to join Real Madrid on a free – also spoke about how players should not be ‘ashamed’ to suffer from depression in football. He concluded: “Depression is personal; it’s deep inside you. When you’re depressed, it starts in the heart, goes up to the brain and takes over your whole body. For me, that’s what’s hard, and we need to talk about it.”
It was the moment that established David Beckham as both Manchester United‘s new star and as a major celebrity.
The halfway-line goal against Wimbledon grabbed the attention of every football fan up and down the country. The type of goal that creates a breakthrough from promising talent to a star player. Beckham himself has described it as his favourite goal of his career. And even now, it still sits high in the pantheon of great Premier League strikes.
It was the first of many great goals for club and country, but it spoke of what Beckham would become known for. The vision, the audacity, and the mastery of the long ball. It was all present on that afternoon at Selhurst Park.
The Game
Wimbledon 0-3 Manchester United (1996)
|
Date: |
August 17, 1996 |
|---|---|
|
Competition: |
Premier League 1996/97 |
|
Venue: |
Selhurst Park, London |
|
Highlights: |
The 1996/97 campaign was an important one for Beckham. The previous season had been his first as a regular, with his 40 appearances contributing to the Premier League and FA Cup double. At one point, United found themselves 10 points behind leaders Newcastle, but they miraculously overturned the deficit to claim the title in dramatic fashion.
Sir Alex Ferguson was very confident in the club’s young players, and believed that they could drive United towards a new era of success. Ferguson came under heavy criticism for his faith in young, homegrown players, such as Beckham, Gary Neville, and Nicky Butt – just ask Alan Hansen. But the club’s success during the 1995/96 season justified his choice.
But having proved the club’s and his own critics wrong, Beckham was under pressure to prove that he wasn’t merely a one-season wonder.
The then-21-year-old was also still overcoming the disappointment of being overlooked for the Euro ’96 squad, this despite consistently good performances for Manchester United and contributions in big matches, such as providing the corner for Eric Cantona’s winning goal in the FA Cup final. At the very beginning of his football career, Golden Balls was still a relative unknown and far from the global stardom he would eventually achieve.
Beckham may have been deemed not quite good enough by England manager Terry Venables, but Ferguson was keen to reward Beckham’s efforts from the previous season. He was given the no.10 shirt for the 1996-97 season, vacated by the departing Mark Hughes. But even Ferguson wouldn’t have expected Beckham to repay that confidence so quickly and emphatically.
The Goal
Action Images
‘A Goal You’ll See Over and Over Again’
The match against Wimbledon on the opening weekend of the season had gone as planned for Ferguson. Eric Cantona had opened the scoring in the first half and Denis Irwin had doubled the lead with just over half an hour to go. The game ticked over into stoppage time, sleepily edging towards its foregone conclusion. Enter United’s no.10.
Brian McClair seized a loose ball in the middle of the park and prodded it towards Beckham. The right midfielder moved forward a couple of yards before discovering that Wimbledon ‘keeper Neil Sullivan was off his line. Beckham didn’t hesitate. The future England captain lofted the ball towards goal, sending Sullivan into a panicked back pedal. But there was nothing he could do about it as the ball struck the back of the net.
“I say how important it was for me personally in my career, but I was more happy about the fact that Eric Cantona came up to me afterwards and said: ‘Good goal.'”
– David Beckham on his halfway-line goal
Captain Roy Keane climbed onto his back in celebration, but commentator John Motson was already thinking about the legacy of the goal and the player who scored it. “David Beckham, surely an England player of the future, scores a goal that will be talked about and replayed for years,” he exclaimed, in his inimitable tones.
And despite all the memorable goals and moments that followed, Beckham himself always seems to return to the Wimbledon goal as his favourite. “Everybody talks about it, and everybody talks about the history of it,” Beckham said. “I say how important it was for me personally in my career, but I was more happy about the fact that Eric Cantona came up to me afterwards and said: ‘Good goal.’ That was better than scoring the goal for me.”
The Aftermath
Beckham had delivered the greatest opening-day goal of a Premier League season ever. The problem was that the strike set a high bar for the campaign ahead. ‘But Golden Balls’ met the challenge head on.
More memorable goals followed against West Ham, Liverpool, and Arsenal. His searing volley against Chelsea, which almost broke the 100mph barrier, was delivered in front of an audience that included Victoria Adams. The goal provided an ideal icebreaker for their first meeting after the game.
But the Wimbledon goal provided more than just lasting memory; it was a springboard for Beckham to lead by example. Injuries to Nicky Butt and Roy Keane forced the 21-year-old to adapt quickly, filling in at centre midfield.
United’s 75 points, the lowest tally of the Premier League era, ensured a successful title defence. Beckham deservedly earned the Young Player of the Year award, as well as finishing runner-up to Alan Shearer in the senior award. It was the season that Beckham started with a bang that only grew louder.
Manchester United clearly still need a new left-back after learning Newcastle United’s stance on selling Lewis Hall.
Hall had been at the top of the Red Devils’ wishlist as they looked to give Luke Shaw competition but the Magpies have made it clear they don’t intend to sell. That is a real nuisance for Michael Carrick, who, as it stands, is heading into his first full season as manager with just two signings made.
INEOS were expected to be extremely busy this summer and started the window off well with the arrivals of Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans. Since then, it’s been quiet at Old Trafford with little transfer activity frustrating fans, and a 4-2 pre-season friendly loss to AC Milan made it clear Carrick needs more.
Man Utd Should Hijack Diouf Deal
While a move Hall now looks to be off the cards, United should still be exploring the market for a new left-back. The solution is West Ham United’s El Hadji Malick Diouf, who looks likely to be on the move before the window closes on September 1st.
GIVEMESPORT’s senior correspondent Ben Jacobs reports that Brentford have resumed their pursuit of the Senegalese full-back. The issue is that there is a ‘gulf in valuation’ paving the way for other clubs to hijack the Bees’ move.
United should consider swooping for Diouf who impressed despite the Hammers’ relegation last season. A modern left-back who has pace, power and a fierce left-footed strike, he could prove to be an outstanding Hall alternative.
Diouf’s attacking qualities have earned plaudits since he arrived in English football last summer. At just 21, he is still young and could be the long-term Shaw replacement the Reds need to sign sooner rather than later.
|
El Hadji Malick Diouf (Premier League 2025-26) |
|
|
Appearances |
32 |
|
Starts |
30 |
|
Assists |
5 |
|
Tackles |
43 |
|
Interceptions |
32 |
|
Clearances |
119 |
|
Fouls Committed |
28 |
|
Yellow Cards |
6 |
|
Red Cards |
0 |
English presenter Jamie Boyce, a West Ham supporter, gave a glowing verdict on Diouf last season:
“El Hadji Malick Diouf is special. After watching him in just 5/6 games for West Ham, I genuinely think he’s one of the best players to ever wear the shirt.”
A deal for Diouf is said to cost around £40m (per TEAMtalk), much more reasonably priced than one for Hall, who’d likely cost at least £60-70m. If INEOS are wise, they wait and see how much Brentford is prepared to offer and enter the race at that ballpark.
Fees correct prior to summer 2026
All 10 found — excellent!
Man Utd Have To Make Three Signings
United cannot start Carrick’s permanent reign and the new season back in the Champions League with just two additions made. It was widely reported that the club would be one of the busiest this summer but a lack of business has raised alarm bells with just a week until their opener against Hull City.
While a new left-back is a priority, so too should be a third midfield signing given Mason Mount’s recurring injury struggles. Santos and Tielemans are impressive acquisitions, but a powerful defensive midfielder should have been signed to address Casemiro’s departure.
There are also problems in attack with Benjamin Sesko set to start the season on the sidelines. The Slovenian’s backup, Joshua Zirkzee, has failed to convince and is linked with a return to Serie A.
If INEOS can deliver a new left-back, holding midfielder and striker, the mood will completely shift. But it is worrying that they haven’t landed a third signing since Tielemans was signed back on July 14th and the likes of Ipswich Town and Coventry City have outspent them.
Footage of two Arsenal players’ actions after their 2026 Community Shield triumph has emerged and sparked a big reaction from supporters online.
Arsenal were crowned Community Shield winners on Sunday afternoon after they dismantled Enzo Maresca’s Manchester City at The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
The Gunners came racing out of the blocks and took the lead inside the opening 30 seconds through Riccardo Calafiori.
Mikel Arteta’s side doubled their lead just before the half-hour mark when Kai Havertz’s header squeaked past Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Arsenal put the result beyond all doubt just after the half-time break courtesy of Martin Odegaard’s well-taken strike. There were no further goals as Arsenal cruised to a 3-0 victory.
Two Arsenal Players Watch On As Teammates Celebrate
Arsenal’s players and staff were delighted with their victory, and they jubilantly celebrated with the trophy after the final whistle. However, two players did not join in during the trophy lift.
Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri both played no part in Wales after being excluded from the squad. Both players have been linked with moves away during the summer.
It is believed that the club are trying to get rid of Martinelli, while Nwaneri, who made Arsenal history in 2022 when he became their youngest-ever player, has also been tipped to leave.
Arsenal fans are now convinced that the two players will depart north London this summer after footage showed them not joining in during the trophy celebrations.
As Arsenal’s players and staff were on the podium, Martinelli and Nwaneri kept their distance and watched on from the sidelines. They only joined the celebrations after being called over by Gabriel Magalhães.
The footage has sparked a big reaction from Arsenal supporters.
One fan said: ‘It’s very sad to watch this’, while another commented: ‘This is heartbreaking’. A third wrote: ‘This is not pleasant to see’, while a fourth stated: ‘This hurts my soul. The biggest reminder that football is a business’.
A fifth wrote: ‘Nah this is sad… without Ethan we would’ve finished 5th the season before last and Martinelli was scoring crucial goals to help get us to the Champions League final.’
Mikel Arteta Calls For Rule Change
Teams are only allowed to name substitutes per match. Speaking after the match, Arteta slammed the rule and said teams should be able to name more players on their bench. He said:
“It’s really sad to not have their availability. I have been fighting with the Premier League to extend them and to accommodate more players in the squad. They deserve to be in the squad, there’s no question. Hopefully we can change that rule and players can enjoy on the pitch and be n option to play and contribute to the team as much as possible.”
Arsenal’s attention now turns to retaining their Premier League trophy. Their campaign gets underway on Friday evening when they welcome newly-promoted Coventry City to the Emirates Stadium.
ADC only exists in few northern LGAs – Jigawa gov’s aide blasts party over Osun election
2027: Osun election shows how opposition parties can remove Tinubu — Lukman
‘Take a Bow David Beckham’
Meaning Behind Egypt Manager’s ‘X’ Gesture vs Argentina
Premier League Set-Piece Goals (2025/2026)
Simi Sanya and Femi Dapson Are Now Legally Married and It Is Beautiful to See
-
Politics2 days ago
Osun Election Results 2026 LIVE: Polling unit-by-unit, LGA updates
-
Metro2 days agoOsun election: Police arrest officer over tear gas incident
-
Sports2 days agoIslam Makhachev vs Ian Machado Garry Exact UK Start Time
-
Sports2 days agoWhy Community Shield is Not at Wembley in 2026
-
Politics1 day agoOsun Decides: Accord heads for victory as Adeleke leads Oyebamiji by over 66,000 votes
-
Metro2 days agoPolice arrest 10 suspected human parts sellers in Oyo
-
Sports2 days agoBayern Munich’s Saibari Praised For Actions as Jamal Musiala Collapses
-
Politics2 days agoOsun election: Adeleke arrives polling unit to cast his vote [Photos]