An important 'personal reason' behind the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo at Diogo Jota can explain why he was not at his funeral on Saturday.
Jota, 28, was laid at Gondomar Cemetery in Portugal on Gondomar in Portugal on Saturday afternoon after he and his brother, Andre Silva, 25, were killed when their Larborghini crashed in the early hours of Thursday morning in North Spain.
The accident came only 11 days after Jota was married, the youth dear Rute Cardoso, also 28, who is the mother of his two sons Dinis, Vier and Duarte, two and his baby daughter Mafalda, who is only eight months old.
On Saturday, mourners told MailOnline that they were shocked by the absence of Ronaldo, given his role as captain of the Portuguese national team.
Ronaldo, 40, skipper's way on Nations League Glory in a team where Jota was also part of Portugal, defeated Spain 5-3 on penalties to win the tournament on 8 June.
But his decision not to attend Jota's funeral can be explained by earlier tragedies in Ronaldo's personal life.
According to the Portuguese Outlet -record, Ronaldo may have chosen not to attend the event because of sensitivity around the death of his father, Jose Diniz Aveiro, who died in September 2005 – when Ronaldo was only 20 years old.
Ronaldo was shocked when he heard about the death of Jota, but would not have made the journey because he did not want his presence to overshadowed the importance of people who express their respect to Jota and his brother.
While the Al – Nassr Forward has arrived for criticism from some circles about his absence – he was publicly defended by his sister Katia on social media.
When she went to Instagram, she wrote: 'When my father died, in addition to the pain of loss, we had to deal with a stream of cameras and curious spectators in the cemetery and wherever we went.
'And attention was not what it is today in terms of access … We (the children) were never able to leave the chapel; It was only possible at the time of the funeral, the commotion was.
“At the funeral there were then presidents, coaches of the national team, such as Luís Filipe Scolari, etc. I don't remember seeing one of them. And they certainly greet me. The pain blinded me.
'About pain/family and real support … you will never know what it means until you go through it. If someone sends me a message that criticizes something that my brother does, I will block it (ignore it completely), that is, they will only do it once.
“It's getting tiring. The fanaticism. The criticism for nothing, I repeat nothing … sick society … we all have families.
'It is absurdly embarrassing to watch TV channels/commentators/social networks that emphasize an absence (wisely) instead of respectfully honoring the pain of a mutilated family that has been destroyed by the loss of two brothers. I'm even ashamed of looking. Regrettable.
'And so the world goes … society and opinion. These days they are worthless. They have become bottomless pits themselves. I am sorry … and war is like that too. Believe me. Human evil is also a war. And every day we have to fight against it. And that's how it goes. '
The support of his sister comes after Ronaldo shared his own emotional tribute with Jota on social media after his death.
He wrote: 'It makes no sense. We were just together in the national team and you had just been married. To your family, your wife and your children, I send my participation and I wish them all the strength in the world.
'I know you will always be with them. Rest in Peace, Diogo and Andre. We will all miss you. '
Comments