Diogo Jota's funeral, Cristiano Ronaldo's absence stands out: here's what happened

Thousands attended today, Saturday 5 July, the funeral of Diogo Jota and Andrè Silva , the two footballer brothers who died in a car accident in Zamora, Spain, on the night between 2 and 3 July. But the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo is notable.

Diogo Jota's funeral, Cristiano Ronaldo's absence stirs controversy: here's the reason

Among the many people present at the funeral of Diogo Jota and Andrè Silva , the two footballer brothers who died in a car accident in Zamora, Spain, the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo , captain of the Portuguese national team, where Jota played, did not go unnoticed.

Those present at the funeral

In the front row, in addition to the relatives, the players, led by captain Virgil Van Dijk, coach Arne Slot, the technical staff and the managers of the "Reds". Among those present at the function - reserved for relatives, teammates and close friends - also the colleagues of the national team of Diogo Jota , such as Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes, and a delegation from Liverpool led by coach Arne Slot and captain Virgil Van Dijk.

The President of the Republic and the Prime Minister of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Luis Montenegro, were among the first to arrive to convey their deepest condolences to the families of the two footballers. They were followed by the President of the Portuguese Football Federation , Pedro Proença, the President of FC Porto , André Villas-Boas and the Manchester United player Diogo Dalot.

Condolences on social media

The captain of the Portuguese national team, which also included Diogo Jota , who died in a car accident , despite expressing his grief over the death of his teammate on social media, chose not to attend the final farewell in the brothers' hometown, Gondomar.

“It makes no sense. We were together in the national team, you had just gotten married. To your family, your wife and children, I send my feelings and wish them all the strength in the world. I know you will always be with them . Rest in peace, Diogo and André. We will all feel your loss,” Ronaldo wrote on his social media, immediately after learning the news.

Ronaldo in the storm

Cristiano Ronaldo's absence has sparked controversy on social media, and not only: "He is the captain of the Portuguese national team. Many expected him to be present. His behavior is inexplicable , any justification will not be up to the gravity of his absence," explained Portuguese journalist Antonio Ribeiro Cristovao.

The background to the absence

But why did Cristiano Ronaldo choose not to attend his partner's funeral ? For now, just rumors. According to a Mallorcan newspaper, Ronaldo is vacationing on the island aboard his yacht Azimut Grande with his entire family before leaving for Hong Kong, where he is expected on July 7 for the inauguration of a museum dedicated to him in the K11 Musea shopping center in Tsim Sha Tsui.

The reasons

For others, the gesture was dictated by a question of tact : the champion did not want to draw media attention to himself by distracting it from Jota's funeral . The Portuguese Record instead speaks of Ronaldo's choice, in shock at the loss of his teammate and friend, to pay homage to Jota's family with greater discretion. His absence was due to the emotional trauma he felt at the death of his father, José Diniz Aveiro, in September 2005.

The striker, then twenty years old, was in Moscow with the national team and received the news from coach Luis Felipe Scolari: from that moment on he preferred to pay his respects in private , with greater discretion, because this was the way he had found at the time to deal with the pain.