Ex-Arsenal star recalls his brother's death as he advises Liverpool players how to cope with Jota's passing

Former Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna has advised Liverpool players to talk to someone about Diogo Jota’s passing to help them cope with the pain of losing a teammate. 

As Pulse Sports reported, the 28-year-old was involved in a fatal car accident along with his 25-year-old brother, Andre Silva. They were laid to rest in their home country of Portugal days after, in a solemn event attended by the Liverpool squad. 

In an interview with CNN, Sagna spoke on the sad loss, focusing on the impact it will have on his teammate. He hinted at the need for them to secure professional help and said they had to find a way to move on.

“They will constantly think about it,” Sagna said, per CNN. “Because in the dressing room, one space will be free. At lunchtime, one space will be free. In the bus, one space will be free, so I clearly advise them to speak up.”

“We are human beings first. We spend more time with the players than we spend with the whole family, so it’s just crazy. 

“It’s hard to explain why and how it happened, but unfortunately, you have to move on, and you have to try to cope with it, but it’s going to be difficult.”

The former Manchester City defender knows firsthandthe effect of grieving while playing professionally. Sagna lost his older brother Omar, who passed a day before his 28th birthday in February 2008, and he struggled to cope with it. 

“My brain was not there,” he said about coping with his brother's lost. “It’s my second season. I start doing mistakes, like schoolboy mistakes. To control the ball was difficult. My brain was in slow motion.

“So some of the (Liverpool) players might come and be in the same mindset. They might not have their head into football because they will constantly think about it.”

Liverpool are still mourning Jota as a club and have announced that they would retire his famed number 20 jersey across all their sports teams.