Cristiano Ronaldo’s sister, Katia Aveiro, has explained why the football star was absent at the funeral of late Liverpool forward, Diogo Jota, which took place over the weekend in Gondomar, Portugal.
Many fans were surprised and angry that the Portugal captain did not attend the funeral, held at Igreja Matriz church on Saturday, sparking criticism across social media and in the Portuguese press.
Responding to the backlash, Katia Aveiro said her brother chose not to attend to avoid turning the solemn event into a media circus. She suggested that Ronaldo’s presence could have shifted focus from the mourning of Jota and his brother, Andre, who both died in a recent accident.
Posting on Instagram, Aveiro shared a personal story about the death of their father in 2005, explaining how the attention surrounding the funeral overwhelmed their family.
“When my father died, we had to deal with cameras and curious onlookers everywhere,” she wrote. “Even back then, it was hard. Today, with how fast news spreads, it would have been worse.”
She urged the public and critics to focus on the loss of the Jota brothers, rather than blaming Ronaldo for staying away.
“There were presidents and coaches at my father’s funeral, and I don’t remember seeing them. Pain blinds you,” she added.
Cristiano Ronaldo has not publicly commented on the situation, but many fans have taken his sister’s message as a reflection of the family’s side of the story.
Diogo Jota’s sudden death, alongside his brother, shocked the football world and led to an outpouring of grief from fans, players, and clubs globally.