Cristiano Ronaldo defends decision to miss Diogo Jota's funeral

Cristiano Ronaldo with former Portugal teammate Diogo Jota (Picture: Shutterstock)

Cristiano Ronaldo has defended his decision to miss the funeral of Liverpool footballer and Portugal teammate Diogo Jota .

Jota was killed in a car crash in July at the age of 28 . His brother, Andre Silva, also died in the accident.

A title winner with Liverpool last season , Jota was a key and popular player at Anfield, making 182 appearances for the Reds.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot and a number of Jota’s club teammates attended a joint-funeral for the brothers in Portugal .

Several of Jota’s international teammates, including Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes , were also in attendance but Portugal legend Ronaldo decided not to attend.

Ruben Neves was playing for Al-Hilal in the Club World Cup in the United States when Jota died but made the trip to Portugal to honour his close friend, among those helping carry the coffin into the church.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, was pictured on his summer holidays on the Spanish island of Majorca at the time of Jota’s funeral.

A joint-funeral was held for Jota and brother Andre Silva (Picture: Getty)

Explaining his absence on Piers Morgan Uncensored , Ronaldo said: ‘There’s two things.

‘People criticise me a lot and I don’t care about that because when you feel your conscious is good you don’t need to worry about what people say.

‘One of the things I don’t do after my father died is go to a cemetery.

‘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.

Cristiano Ronaldo speaking with Piers Morgan (Picture: YouTube)

‘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.’

Ronaldo and the Portugal squad attended a ceremony paying tribute to Jota in September.

Shortly after the tragic incident back in July, Ronaldo said Jota’s death ‘didn’t make sense’ and sent a message of support to his wife and children .

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Ronaldo attended a tribute ceremony for Jota in September (Picture: Getty)

‘Doesn’t make any sense. Just now we were together in the National Team, just now you were married,’ he posted on social media.

‘To your family, to your wife and children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world.

‘I know you will always be with them. R.I.P. Diogo and Andre. We will all miss you.’

Jota died just 11days after marrying his long-term partner Rute Cardoso, with whom he had three children.

More to follow…