/sportzpoint/media_files/c74e65b3-443f-4187-823a-c1847dc8d6f9.jpg)
Cristiano Ronaldo chose not to attend his Portugal teammate Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva's funeral on Saturday. This sparked headlines and speculations.
However, as per the Portuguese media, A Bola, Cristiano Ronaldo did not want "excessive attention" at a time when he wanted Jota's family to have more peace and discretion.
According to them, the Portuguese National team captain had a direct conversation with Diogo Jota’s partner, Rute Cardoso, and was also in contact with Jota’s parents after the incident.
During this tough time for Jota's family, Ronaldo wanted to show empathy and grieve in private to eliminate any media hysteria, which could have been "more harmful than beneficial."
When Ronaldo was absent during the funeral, Rúben Neves and João Cancelo made a long trip from the USA to pay tribute and carry the coffin of their teammate Diogo Jota at Igreja Matriz de Gondomar.
Manchester City star Bernardo Silva and Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot were also there at the funeral. Most of the Liverpool FC players and staff were at the funeral as except for goalkeeper Allison Becker, who sent a special letter to Jota and Andre on social media.