- Cristiano Ronaldo has explained why he missed Diogo Jota’s funeral in Portugal earlier this year
- Jota perished in a road accident alongside his brother Andre Silva when the car they were in crashed
- Ronaldo was a no-show at the funeral, with Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk leading the football world in the sombre occasion
Cristiano Ronaldo has, for the first time, spoken candidly about the death of Diogo Jota and his conspicuous absenteeism from his funeral.
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The football world was left in shock after Jota was killed alongside his brother in a grisly road crash on July 3.
The two brothers perished in northern Spain as they were on their way to board a ferry to Liverpool to get ready for pre-season.
The Liverpool star and his brother were buried 48 hours later, with his club and international teammates in attendance in Gondomar, Portugal.
His best friend, Ruben Neves, flew overnight from the United States, where he was playing in the FIFA Club World Cup, to arrive just in time for the service.
Liverpool captain Virgil Van Dijk and his manager, Arne Slot, led the Reds.
Why Ronaldo missed Diogo Jota’s funeral
However, Portugal’s greatest-ever player, Ronaldo, was a major absentee as the world bid goodbye to his teammate.
Speaking with Piers Morgan, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner lifted the lid on why he skipped the funeral.
Ronaldo highlighted a personal struggle with how he felt when his father died, and he would rather avoid the cemetery altogether.
“But one of the things that I don’t do, it’s after my father died; I’ve never been in a cemetery again.”
Source: Instagram
The former Manchester United striker also didn’t want his reputation to take away the moment from Jota’s grieving family. Jota is survived by his wife and three kids.
“And second, you know my reputation, wherever I go, is a circus. I don’t go because if I go, the attention goes for me, and I don’t want this kind of attention. People can continue to criticise me. I felt good with my decision. I don’t need to be in the first line for people to see me. I’m planning the things, I’m thinking about his family, I don’t need to be in the cameras for the people to see what I do,” he added.
Ronaldo admits he cried when he received the news of Jota’s death.
“I didn’t believe when they sent me messages. I cry a lot. It was a very, very difficult moment for everybody – for the country, for families, for friends, for teammates, devastating.”
What warning did doctors give Diogo Jota?
In a related story, doctors gave Jota a warning before the car crash that took his life.
Reports indicate doctors told him not to fly since he had undergone a lung-related surgery.
Jota’s Lamborghini veered off the road after a tyre blowout and caught fire along the A52 highway in Zamora, northern Spain.
Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
