Malian midfielder Yves Bissouma offers apology and opens up on trauma after burglary ordeal

Yves Bissouma has issued a public apology and spoken candidly about the personal turmoil he has endured following a series of burglaries that left him traumatised and led to a lapse in judgement.

Speaking to The Sun, the Tottenham midfielder reflected on events that saw him lose possessions worth around £1 million and admitted taking hippy crack in the aftermath, while stressing the severe emotional toll the incidents had taken on his life.

I am sorry. This incident [latest break-in] broke something in me I didn’t even know I could break. I apologise to the fans. The trauma added to my life — fear, panic, depression and paranoia, Bissouma said.

The Mali international explained that the most recent break-in, which occurred during the summer, marked a breaking point.

He described filming the immediate aftermath and the shock of seeing the scale of the damage and loss inside his home.

Oh my god . . . Look what they did. I feel really bad about it. I have to apologise. When the picture came out, it affected me and everyone, especially my family, he said.

Bissouma revealed how the images deeply affected his father, adding: When my dad saw it, he was panicking because he didn’t feel good. I tried to make him understand that it’s a hard image, but not who I am. I know it’s not good for me, for my image, because I’m a professional football player.

He went on to detail the scale of the burglary and the emotional shock that followed.

Look what they did. They came and robbed me. My watches . . . they robbed my watches. They robbed my jewellery. Like, it’s actually crazy, like. What they did in my room is f*g . . . I can’t believe that. I just . . . oh my god. Look at all of my watches. They took everything. They took my ­jewellery. They took my bags as well, like, everything.

Beyond the material loss, Bissouma said the psychological impact was far more damaging.

I’m a strong person. I’m a mentally and physically strong African man. I’ve faced battles and storms before, but these incidents . . . they broke something in me I didn’t even know could break. I’ve asked myself, ‘Why me?’ more times than I can count. I hate feeling like a victim, but what I lost wasn’t just material.

He described the lasting effects of the trauma in stark terms.

It was what the trauma added to my life — fear, panic, depression, paranoia, sleepless nights and a constant loss of trust. I don’t want to talk about it (the balloon) anymore because it’s over. But to the fans, I am very sorry. My mental health has been bad at times.

Bissouma acknowledged that his actions were wrong, while asking for understanding.

It is not an excuse for what happened, but I hope people can maybe understand me a bit more because of this. Sometimes I was too scared to sleep at home, so I slept in the training ground. I was speaking with a mental health therapist sometimes five times a week.

Addressing his mental state directly, he added: It’s depression, yes. Was I crying to die? No. Sometimes in life you feel a bit down, but you have to try and refresh your mind and stay strong. I want to move on from my mistakes. I like playing for ­Tottenham. I’m just thinking about being fit again and trying to enjoy football.