“It doesn’t make sense… we were just together in the national team,” Ronaldo wrote after Jota’s passing.
Cristiano Ronaldo has faced criticism after choosing not to attend the funeral of Portuguese forward Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash alongside his brother, André Silva, last Thursday in northern Spain.
Jota, 28, had just married his longtime partner, Rute Cardoso, and leaves behind three young children. His funeral took place Saturday in Gondomar, Portugal, with several Portuguese teammates present. Ronaldo, however, was pictured a day later on a yacht in Mallorca.
According to Portuguese media, Ronaldo’s absence was linked to past personal grief, including the death of his father in 2005. He reportedly wished to avoid drawing attention away from the mourning family.
His sister, Katia, defended him online: “It is absurdly shameful to emphasise an absence (wise) rather than respectfully honouring the pain of a mutilated family.”
Ronaldo had earlier posted: “It doesn’t make sense… We were just together in the national team… Rest in peace, Diogo and André. We will all miss you.”