Cristiano Ronaldo has explained why he did not attend the funeral of his Portugal teammate Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash in July at the age of 28. The Liverpool forward, a key player in their title-winning season, was laid to rest alongside his brother Andre Silva in a joint funeral in Portugal.
Speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Ronaldo cited two reasons for his absence. 'One of the things I don't do after my father died is go to a cemetery,' he said. 'Secondly, you know me and my reputation, wherever I go it's a circus. I don't go because the attention would be on me and I don't want that.'
Ronaldo, who was on holiday in Majorca at the time, added: 'People can continue to criticise me but I felt good with my decision. I don't need to go just so people can see me there. I was thinking of his family and I didn't need the cameras to see things I do.'
The Portugal legend also revealed how he learned of Jota's death. 'I was with Gio in the gym. I didn't believe when I saw the messages. I cried a lot. It was a very, very difficult moment for everyone,' he said. Ronaldo later attended a tribute ceremony for Jota in September and had previously sent a message of support to his family.
