Cristiano Ronaldo breaks silence on missing Diogo Jota’s funeral: circus | OneFootball

Cristiano Ronaldo explained that he hasn’t visited cemeteries since his father’s funeral, and also added that he didn’t want to turn Diogo Jota’s ceremony into a media circus because of his presence. The Portuguese star recently gave an interview to Piers Morgan and, among various topics, addressed the passing of his national team companion.

"People criticize me a lot. As I say, I don’t care about that, because when your conscience is clear, you don’t have to worry about what people say. But one thing I haven’t done, since my father died, is enter a cemetery. I’ve never entered a cemetery again," Cristiano Ronaldo began to explain.

The Portuguese star, who came up through Sporting, continued: "And secondly, you know my reputation, wherever I go it’s a circus. I also didn’t go because, if I did, all the attention would turn to me and I don’t want that kind of attention. People can keep criticizing me, I felt good about my decision. I don’t need to be in front of cameras for people to see what I do. I do it behind the scenes."

"I have to be especially careful about my actions. I don’t want to criticize, but I saw people giving interviews, talking about Jota, of course, about football... Please, what is this? Please... I don’t have to be part of that world. There are people who feel good like that. They want to be in the front row to see that Cristiano has arrived. I don’t need cameras for people to know what I do for them. There was a lot of criticism around this. If you want to enjoy your birthday, don’t invite me. If you invite me, you already know... Don’t invite me. I go somewhere and immediately people ask for photos," Cristiano Ronaldo explained, also leaving some criticism for the media.

"When my father died, besides the pain of the loss, we had to deal with a flood of cameras and onlookers at the cemetery and everywhere. [...] It is absurdly shameful to see television channels, commentators, and social media emphasizing an absence instead of respectfully honoring the pain of a family mutilated and destroyed by the loss of two brothers. I even feel ashamed to see it. It’s regrettable," Cristiano Ronaldo concluded.

To finish, the Portuguese star explained what he felt when he received the news: "I didn’t believe it when they sent me the messages. I cried a lot. It was a very, very difficult moment for everyone — for the country, for the families, for the friends, for the teammates. Devastating. [...] It was a shock. We still feel his aura in the national team, when we put on the shirt, because Diogo was one of us. He was a very good guy, calm... I really liked being with him, sharing great moments. It was sad."

Check out Cristiano Ronaldo’s statements about Diogo Jota’s funeral here:

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.