Reason Cristiano Ronaldo missed Diogo Jota's funeral emerges as Portugal captain's absence felt
Diogo Jota was laid to rest on Saturday morning after the Liverpool and Portugal star tragically died in a car crash alongside his younger brother Andre Silva in Spain
Cristiano Ronaldo was unable to attend Diogo Jota's funeral
Cristiano Ronaldo was not present at the funeral of Diogo Jota on Saturday morning.
Jota was laid to rest with his brother Andre Silva in Gondomar, near Porto, Portugal, following their tragic passing in a car accident in Spain in the early hours of Thursday morning. Members from Jota's Liverpool squad, the Portugal national team, and his past colleagues from Wolves were among those who travelled to honour his memory.
Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson were spotted carrying red floral tributes into the church, while Portuguese footballers Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and Joao Neves also attended the service held at the Chapel of the Resurrection.
Neves, a former team-mate of Jota at both Wolves and the Portugal national side, was one of those who assisted in bearing the coffin into the church after arriving from the United States where he had been competing in the Club World Cup with Al-Hilal.
However, Portugal's captain Ronaldo was notably absent from the mourners at the funeral, officiated by Father Jose Manuel Macedo at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar catholic church. As per the Mirror, Ronaldo was concerned that his appearance in the small town might detract from the solemn occasion dedicated to his team-mate and his younger brother.
He has chosen to maintain a low profile recently, spending time with his family. Ronaldo did, however, share a heartfelt message on social media following the heartbreaking news on Thursday, writing: "It doesn't make sense. We were just together in the national team, and you had just gotten married.
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"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."
Dozens of figures from the world of football attended the funeral of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva
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Liverpool stars such as Curtis Jones, Alexis Mac Allister, Harvey Elliott, Wataru Endo, Darwin Nunez, Federico Chiesa and manager Arne Slot stood alongside Van Dijk and Robertson to pay their respects. Former Liverpool players Caoimhin Kelleher, Jordan Henderson and James Milner were also in attendance.
The tragic accident that claimed Jota and his brother occurred when their Lamborghini veered off the road in north west Spain – which police expect happened due to a burst tyre – and the vehicle subsequently caught fire.
The funeral came after a private wake held on Friday, which saw the presence of Jota's wife Rute Cardoso, whom he had married just last a couple of weeks ago, along with other family members. Jota had three children with his wife – two sons and a daughter.
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In response to the devastating event, the Portuguese Football Federation released a statement saying: "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."
The federation's president added: "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."
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