Moving Letter: 'Dear Roxane': Diomande writes about his sister's death

Yan Diomande has published a moving letter to his late sister, Roxane, promising to prove her belief in his footballing future. The 19-year-old Ivory Coast international and RB Leipzig player shared the letter, titled 'Dear Roxane,' on 'The Players' Tribune' ahead of his team's second World Cup match against Germany.

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I will prove that you were right, I will give everything for that.

Diomande recounts how his sister, who died at age 15, always told others, 'My brother will be the best in the world,' even before he had proper football boots. He swears to achieve this prediction, stating he writes the letter because he cannot speak about his grief and wants her memory to live on. His sister died just weeks before his March 2025 debut for Leganés in Spain.

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My brother will be the best in the world.

He describes a profound emptiness since her death, contrasting it with his past feelings. Diomande recounts receiving the news of her death bluntly, recalling how someone allegedly put something in her drink at a party, and she never woke up. He cherishes memories of their shared dreams, including moving to France, and notes that Roxane was the only one who believed he could become the next Cristiano Ronaldo while others laughed.

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Since your death, I am simply empty.

Diomande reflects on his journey, mentioning his struggles with punctuality after joining RB Leipzig, which led to him being nicknamed 'the German' for arriving excessively early. He finds the football pitch to be the only place where he feels at home and at peace, allowing him to feel like a human being again.

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The football pitch is the only place where I still feel at home.