Cristiano Ronaldo has broken his silence regarding his absence from Diogo Jota's funeral. The Al Nassr star was criticised by fans for not attending the event. Fans felt that as Ronaldo is Portugal's captain, he should have gone to the funeral.
Jota and his brother, Andre Filipe, were involved in a tragic car accident on the A-52 highway near Palacios de Sanabria in the Zamora region of Spain. The car had a tyre blowout while overtaking and caught fire after losing control. Many national and club teammates attended the funeral. From the Portugal team, the likes of Ruben Neves, Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes were there.
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Speaking on Piers Morgan's podcast, Ronaldo said, “I was with Gio alone during our rest period. I was in the gym in the morning. I didn't believe it when they sent me messages. I cried a lot, Gio can confirm that. It was a very difficult moment for the country, family and friends, teammates, devastating, very sad news.”
"He is not a guy who speaks too much, very level-headed. I really liked to meet him, share some great moments with him. But it was sad. I had an opportunity to speak with the family and to give support."
{{/usCountry}}"He is not a guy who speaks too much, very level-headed. I really liked to meet him, share some great moments with him. But it was sad. I had an opportunity to speak with the family and to give support."
{{/usCountry}}Speaking about the criticism, he said, "People criticise a lot, as I said, I don't care about that. Because when you feel that your conscience is good and free, you don't have to worry about what people say."
"One thing I don't do is, after my father died, I haven't been in a cemetery again. Second, you know my reputation that wherever I go, its a circus. I didn’t go also, then the attention comes to me, and I don't want that attention.
"I felt good about the decision. I planned things, thinking about his family", he added