Cristiano Ronaldo's heartbreaking reason he did not attend Diogo Jota's funeral
Cristiano Ronaldo was not in attendance at the funeral of Diogo Jota on Saturday morning as he didn't want to overshadow his teammates final farewell.
The Liverpool forward was laid to rest alongside his brother Andre Silva at a church in Gondomar, near the Portuguese city of Porto after the pair tragically died alongside each other in a horror car crash in Spain.
Jota's Liverpool teammates and players from the Portugal national team, as well as former teammates from Wolves were all among mourners who travelled to Portugal to pay their respects.
As the Mirror reports, Reds captain Virgil van Dijk and Scotland captain Andy Robertson were seen carrying red floral tributes into the church. Portugal stars Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and best pal Ruben Neves were also present inside the Chapel of Resurrection.
Neves, who starred alongside Jota for Wolves and Portugal helped carry the coffin into the church, having flown over from the United States after playing at the Club World Cup less than 24 hours earlier.
However, one notable absentee, was Ronald who is Portugal captain. Mirror football understands Ronald was wary of his presence in the tiny town of Gondomar overshadowing the day. He has reportedly been keeping a low profile in recent days, surrounded by his family.
Ronaldo was quick to pay an emotional tribute to Jota on social media after the tragic news broke of his death on Thursday.
The world superstar wrote: "It doesn't make sense. We were just together in the national team, and you had just gotten married.
"To your family, your wife and your children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world. I know you will always be with them. Rest in peace, Diogo and Andre. We will all miss you."
Van Dijk and Robertson were joined by fellow Liverpool stars Curtis Jones, Alexis MacAllister, Harvey Elliott, Watura Endo, Darwin Nunez, Federico Chiesa and manager Arne Slot.
Ex-Liverpool players in Caoimhin Kelleher, Jordan Henderson and James Milner were also present.
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Jota and his brother died after the Lamborghini they were travelling in spun off the road in north west Spain and caught fire in the early hours of Thursday morning. The funeral followed a private wake on Friday, which was attended by Jota's wife Rute Cardoso, who he married last month, and the player's family.
Reacting to the heartbreaking news, the Portuguese Football Federation said in a statement: 'Diogo Jota was not only a fantastic player with almost 50 caps for the national team, but also an extraordinary person who was respected by all his team-mates and opponents. He had a contagious joy and was a reference point in his own community.
'On behalf of the Portuguese Football Federation and myself, I would like to offer our deepest condolences to the families and friends of Diogo and Andre as well as Liverpool FC and FC Penafiel, the respective clubs of the players.
'We have lost two champions. Their deaths represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football, and we will do everything we can to honour their legacy every day.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
25 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Newsboy went through the card on Saturday – here are his Monday racing tips
Our man is in scintillating form – tipping all seven winners at Beverley on Saturday – and he has napped one trained by the in-form Julie Camacho on Monday BRAVE BOB is fancied to build on the promise of his debut in the sphere at Redcar last month to land the Luxury Breaks At Western House Hotel Handicap (4.05) at Ayr today. Julie Camacho's son of Oasis Dream didn't trouble the judge on his first three starts, all at Doncaster, but earned a British Horseracing Authority mark of 54 as a result. Brave Bob went off at 10-1 in a field of 11 for a six-furlong handicap on Teesside 16 days ago and ran on well to the finish to take fourth behind Baby Rover. Sam James takes over from 5lb claimer Tom Kiely-Marshall this afternoon aboard my selection, who competes from an unchanged rating here. Camacho is currently knocking in winners at a one-in-four strike-rate and, with further progress to come on the fifth outing of his career, Brave Bob is expected to show to the fore. James could also be in luck aboard HALF SOVEREIGN in the opening EBF Stallions Restricted Novice Stakes (1.30). Karl Burke's youngster made his racecourse bow at Redcar on the same card that saw Brave Bob start out in handicaps, and the way he came home from a hopeless position to take fourth behind Finegans Rainbow augurs well for this afternoon. Newsboy left his followers in seventh heaven when going through the card at Beverley on Saturday with a sensational 12,936-1 seven-timer. And he was not the only Mirror tipster in fine form on Saturday. The paper's Value Scope column, written by tipping titan Steve Jones, singled out 11-1 winner Expert Angel at Haydock and two other each-way bets were both placed at 18-1 – Arisaig and Night Breeze. For good measure, his fourth each-way selection Shagraan was also placed at 11-1. AYR 1.30 HALF SOVEREIGN (NB) 2.00 SAY WHAT YOU SEE 2.30 MONHAMMER 3.00 ABDUCTION 3.33 ARABIAN COBRA 4.05 BRAVE BOB (NAP) 4.40 EY UP ITS JAZZ 5.15 BILLY NO MATES WORCESTER 2.12 FAT SAM 2.42 RIVER OF JOY 3.15 STUMPS OR SLIPS 3.45 HANDLETHEKETTLE 4.20 SHIBUYA SONG 4.55 JANWORTH 5.30 JLOW RIPON 6.30 POPTY PING 7.00 BALAYAGED 7.30 TRIGGERMAN 8.00 PROTEST RALLY 8.30 IWANTMYTIMEWITHYOU 9.00 SPRING CORN DOUBLE: BRAVE BOB and HALF SOVEREIGN
Daily Record
40 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Celtic outcast sees transfer exit announced for him as Isak Jansson directly answers vital Rodgers neccessity
Gustaf Lagerbielke proved an ill-fit in Glasgow as he spent last season on loan at Twente Departing Gustaf Lagerbielke has been snapped in the colours of new club Braga before his official unveiling in Portugal. The Swede proved an ill-fit in Glasgow as he spent last season on loan at Twente after only mustering seven league appearances following his move from Elsborg in 2023. And now Lagerbielke's move to Braga will receive an official green light in the coming hours. Both manager Brendan Rodgers and captain Callum McGregor praised the Sweden international's hard work during training but he could never earn extended minutes in green and white. Now Lagerbielke follows fellow defender Maik Nawrocki out the door but has a famous Champions League winner against Feyenoord to show for his time with Celtic. Meanwhile, Isak Jansson's knack for thriving in one vs ones led him to Rapid Vienna and now appears to be the factor which has him being eyed by Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers. The Hoops appear keen on Nicolas Kuhn's successor as the German winger himself stands on the brink of joining Como in a £17.2million deal. The Vienna chief has revealed all on what led Jansson to Rapid and what has him firmly on the Celtic radar. He said last month: "We needed a replacement for Nicolas Kuhn after he signed for Celtic. "We asked our manager what type of player he was looking for in particular and he told us he wanted someone who could beat a man, one-on-one. "We did a wide data search across our target markets and in terms of dribbling and taking on players, Jansson appeared in the top three. "We looked at a lot of his videos and he was exactly what we wanted. "Usually, we would watch a player live, but with the timescale and the closing of the transfer window, we had no time and had to trust the data. "The risk was relatively low because we also know that in eight to nine out of ten cases, the impressions from video scouting are confirmed during live scouting. "And with Jansson, it wasn't a risk at all because we first agreed on a free loan first and then a small transfer fee of £200,000. "One week after we exercised the purchase option in the season, we had an offer of more than £1 million on the table. "He will clearly be transferred for many times what we paid for him. He has been an amazing success for us." You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also on WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Aussie rugby league star pays tribute to Diogo Jota after the Liverpool forward tragically passed away
Tom Trbojevic has paid a touching tribute to Diogo Jota, after the Portuguese forward tragically passed away alongside his brother Andre Silva on Thursday last week in a car accident. Jota, 28, and his brother, Andre, 25, were laid to rest in Portugal on Saturday afternoon, with many of the Portuguese international's team-mates from past and present attending the memorial service. Many had gathered at the Igreja Matriz in Gondomar to pay tribute to the brothers, including Jota's Liverpool team-mates Virgil van Dijk, Andrew Robertson and Alexis MacAllister. Tributes have continued to flood in from around the world, with several Aussie sporting stars paying homage to the Portuguese defender over the weekend. Carlton star Jesse Motlop booted a goal during the Blues' 56-point loss by Collingwood on Friday night and proceeded to pay homage to Jota by sitting on the ground and doing the forward's video game celebration. Meanwhile, on Sunday, Trbojevic showed signs of returning back to his best, as he fired the Sea Eagles back into the NRL 's top eight with a 30-12 win over South Sydney. Two games into his shift from fullback to centre, Trbojevic scored a double at Brookvale Oval on Sunday and set up another as Manly ran to a 24-0 lead. After touching down for his first, Trbojevic got to his feet and looked down one of Fox Sports' cameras, making a two and zero sign with his hands to spell the number 20, Jota's Liverpool squad number. The footy star then placed his palms together to replicate a 'prayer' sign and looked up to the sky. He was later praised by fans on social media for the move, with one writing: 'Tom #Trbojevic a legend of our NRL game this afternoon paying tribute to Diogo Jota. Well done Turbo for doing that, much respect from this Manly Fan.' As part of their tributes to the footballer, Liverpool have said Jota's No 20 shirt will now be 'immortalised' following his passing. 'The No 20 will be rightly immortalised for his contributions as part of Liverpool's 2024-25 title-winners – the club's 20th – with his trademark shimmy and strike in front of the Kop to seal victory in April's Merseyside derby a poignant last goal of his life,' the club said in a statement. It comes as Nashville SC midfielder Hany Mukhtar also paid a touching tribute to Jota after he scored a 101st-minute winner against Philadelphia Union on Saturday. After the incredible moment, the 30-year-old sat down on the turf and mimicked Jota's gaming celebration. Manly, meanwhile, claimed their second-straight victory against the Rabbitohs on Sunday in what's been a crucial fortnight for Anthony Seibold, with the Bunnies now stretching their losing streak to six defeats on the bounce. The main concern for South Sydney will be Brandon Smith after he limped from the field with ankle injury late in his return game from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Playing his first game in nine months and featuring for Souths for the first time, Smith started and played two short stints before being hurt in a tackle. Smith's injury came on the same leg he ruptured his ACL last August, and adds to what has been a wretched few years of injuries for the Rabbitohs. As undermanned as the Rabbitohs may be, this was still a crucial win for Manly given the noise around Sydney's northern beaches a fortnight ago. Seibold said last week that he would reconsider Trbojevic's centre move after the Souths match, wanting his most dangerous man to get his confidence back. Trbojevic appears to have at least done that, running with power again in what was easily his best match since March. He regularly played a roaming role in attack, popping up on the left of the field to give Manly an extra number on that side of the field in attack. The Sea Eagles' first try came in that fashion, with Trbojevic linking up with new No.1 Lehi Hopoate on the left side of the field to send Reuben Garrick over. Trbojevic scored Manly's next himself when he again went in field searching for the ball, and created pressure by chasing through on a Daly Cherry-Evans kick. On the next play he made use of the broken defensive line and stepped through two to score. It was Trbojevic's second try after the break that showed the most promise, when he again took a ball on the left, charged infield and beat three to score. Trbojevic has starred as a roaming centre at representative level, but questions linger over defensive cohesion with two Souths tries coming late down his edge. The Sea Eagles have the bye next week before a difficult month against three of the NRL's top four, and they desperately need Trbojevic firing if they are to play finals. Manly hope to have Haumole Olakau'atu back as soon as after that bye, after a middle led by Matt Lodge able to overturn Souths' better early ball on Sunday. Garrick also scored a double in the win, while fellow winger Jason Saab appeared to suffer a lower-leg injury late.
