Cristiano Ronaldo absent from Diogo Jota’s funeral
Portugal captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, was one of the conspicuous absentees as his team-mate Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, were both laid to rest.
Ronaldo was widely expected to arrive in Gondomar near Porto to pay his last respects.
But the 40-year-old who plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia was nowhere to be found, as Jota’s club and country team-mates attended a wake yesterday and the funeral mass this morning.
According to the Daily Mail, Ronaldo is currently holidaying on the island of Majorca.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has been spotted in two upmarket destinations on board his £5.5 million 88-feet long Azimut Grande yacht.
His absence has led to criticism and outrage in his native country.
Apart from Jota’s team-mates in the Portugal national time and Liverpool, the Manchester City duo of Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias and Manchester United defender, Diogo Dalot, were among the footballers who packed into the church this morning – the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar.
Joao Cancelo and Ruben Neves, who were overwhelmed with emotion on Friday night ahead of their Club World Cup clash in Orlando, also flew in along with Portugal manager Roberto Martinez, who has been in the States as a member of the FIFA Club World Cup Technical Study Group.
Cristiano Ronaldo absent from Diogo Jota’s funeral
