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Portugal FA Chief Defends Ronaldo's Absence from Teammate's Funeral
4 Aug
Summary
- Cristiano Ronaldo did not attend Diogo Jota's funeral
- Portugal FA president calls criticism of Ronaldo's absence "unfair"
- Ronaldo was one of the people who "felt it the most" after Jota's passing
In a recent development, the president of the Portuguese Football Federation has stepped up to defend Cristiano Ronaldo's absence from the funeral of his national team teammate, Diogo Jota. Jota and his brother André Silva tragically passed away in a car accident one month ago, leaving the football world in mourning.
Many of Jota's Portugal teammates, including Bernardo Silva, Rúben Dias, João Félix, and Bruno Fernandes, attended the funeral service in Gondomar, Portugal to pay their respects. However, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, Ronaldo, was noticeably absent from the service.
The federation president, Pedro Proença, has now come out and stated that the criticism directed at Ronaldo for missing the funeral is "unfair". Proença explained that Ronaldo was closely connected with the national team family and Jota's own blood family from the very beginning. He emphasized that Ronaldo, who played alongside Jota for the national team, was one of the people who felt the loss the most.
Ronaldo reportedly did not attend the funeral as he did not want to take attention away from the service. The federation president reiterated that the claims made about Ronaldo's involvement were unjust, and that the captain was truly a teammate of Jota's.
