Surat Yan Diomande Untuk Adiknya Yang Meninggal Menyentuh Dunia Sepak Bola

 

JatimUPdate.id - Penyerang muda Pantai Gading, Yan Diomande, membagikan surat emosional kepada adiknya, Roxane, yang meninggal dunia pada usia 15 tahun.

Surat tersebut dipublikasikan melalui media The Players' Tribune dan kemudian dibagikan oleh jurnalis transfer ternama Fabrizio Romano. 

Dalam surat itu, Diomande mengenang masa kecil mereka di Abidjan, saat 25 orang tinggal dalam satu rumah dan ia bermain sepak bola di tanah berdebu dengan jersey Manchester United palsu bertuliskan "Ronaldo 7".

Ia mengaku pernah ditolak banyak klub, bahkan visa tinggalnya habis sehingga merasa mimpinya menjadi pesepak bola telah berakhir. Namun Roxane terus meyakinkannya untuk tidak menyerah. 

Beberapa minggu setelah masa sulit itu, Diomande mendapat kesempatan bergabung dengan Leganés. Namun kebahagiaan tersebut tidak berlangsung lama.

Roxane meninggal dunia setelah menghadiri sebuah pesta. Peristiwa itu meninggalkan luka mendalam bagi Diomande yang mengaku merasa "kosong" sejak kepergian sang adik. 

Kini, saat tampil di Piala Dunia 2026 bersama Pantai Gading, Diomande membawa satu janji: membuktikan bahwa keyakinan adiknya tidak pernah salah. "Aku akan membuktikan bahwa kamu benar, atau aku akan mati saat mencoba," tulisnya dalam penutup surat tersebut. 

Berikut Versi aslinya: 

𝐘𝐚𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞’𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫. ❤️‍🩹☝🏿

“Dear Roxane,

Remember when somebody bought me a fake United jersey, and I wrote Ronaldo 7 on the back with the black marker?

Remember 25 people sleeping in one house back in Abidjan?

We didn’t know rich or poor. We just knew happiness.

Remember when the adults saw me playing football in the dirt and nicknamed me “Roberto Carlos” because of how hard I would shoot? And remember how I was secretly so mad about it, because CR7 was my idol?

But no one signed me. In England, everywhere as even the B teams in the MLS didn’t want me.

My visa was up. My dream was over. Back to Africa.

You were the one who never stopped believing. A few weeks later, I signed for Leganés and we cried different tears.

That was back when I used to have emotions. Now, I don’t feel anything. It’s like 𝐈’𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧. Since you died, I’m just 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐤.

I don’t even think I shed a tear the day they told me that you were gone. I was just in shock.

“Your sister is gone.”
“What?”
“She died.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Somebody put something in her drink at a party, and she never woke up. She is gone.”

You were 15.

I never got any answers. Maybe it was jealousy. Maybe it’s just something that happens in our country. Maybe I could have protected you.

I try to trust God’s plan. It’s all I can do.

You know what’s crazy? After my debut against Madrid, I actually swapped shirts with Mbappé. Remember when we used to watch him on TV, and you’d say: Mbappé? Yeah, he’s good. But my brother is better.

I didn’t want a big house and I didn’t want cars. I just wanted to show the world that my sister was right.

We’re at the World Cup. For real. You always said that I could be better than Cristiano. 𝐈𝐟 𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

I’m going to do what you predicted, I swear. Before I even had real boots, you said: My brother is going to be the greatest in the world.

𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐨𝐫 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠...

Your brother, Yan”.

The Players' Tribune Football ✍🏿

Editor : Redaksi