Cristiano Ronaldo did not attend the funeral of his former teammate Diogo Jota today in order not to cause any distraction from the event.
Former Liverpool and Portugal forward Jota tragically died in a car accident this week at the age of 28, alongside his brother Andre.
The pair are being buried today in the small town of Gondomar, and the Daily Mirror claim Ronaldo was wary of attending.
The Al Nassr superstar is such a big name that it could perhaps have caused some distress to Jota’s family and friends if his presence drew in even more crowds, journalists and photographers.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s tribute to Diogo Jota
Ronaldo and Jota won the Nations League with the Portuguese national team earlier this summer, and the former Manchester United man paid tribute to his old international colleague on social media shortly after the sad news broke on Thursday.
He wrote: “It doesn’t make sense. We were just together in the national team, and you had just gotten married.
Liverpool players attend Diogo Jota funeral
Liverpool players such as Virgil van Dijk, Curtis Jones, and Andrew Robertson were in attendance for today’s service as they bid farewell to their teammate and friend.
The news has shocked the footballing world, and it must be particularly painful for Liverpool’s fans who watched him play every week, as well as his teammates, some of whom had known him for years.
CaughtOffside’s thoughts are with all of his family, friends and teammates at this difficult time.
