Thousands at the funeral Diego Jota: Cristiano Ronaldo absent, that’s why

In the town of Gondomar, near Porto, a large crowd between friends, relatives, fans and players gathered to offer the last farewell to Diogo Jota, Liverpool and Portuguese national player who lost his life following a terrible car accident on the A-52 motorway near Zamora, Spain, following which his brother also disappeared, also a footballer, André Silva.

The two were directed to Santander, so Diogo, who had been not recommended to travel by plane after lung surgery, could have taken a ferry to the United Kingdom and continue for Liverpool.

The entire world of football, and not only, remained in shock to the news (even Oasis, during the first date of the Tour 2025 that marks theirs reunionpaid homage to the sportsman on the notes of Live Forever). In addition to the family and his wife (Diogo Jato had married only a few days before, on June 22) a huge pain hit the many teammates who came to the funeral and who did everything to be present.

Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo, companions in the bearer, even returned from the United States in the night to bring the coffin of their teammate. There were really everyone, except one, Maybe the most important. Great absent from the funeral, in fact, Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of the Portuguese national team who, on the day of the striker’s disappearance, had a touching post on social media.

The fact of not having spoke to the function triggered several controversies against him: according to a Majorcan newspaper he was on vacation on the island aboard his big azimut yacht with his family. The question would be to understand if Cristiano Ronaldo He did not deliberately participate in farewell to his teammate In order not to attract the attention to his presence too much and leave the role as the protagonist, albeit in sad circumstances, to his colleague, or it was a gesture made superficially on his part, without evaluating his impact.

Many, there was to expect it, they criticized it including Luís Vilar, commentator of CNN Portugal, said that if it had been there he would have given the atmosphere a different energy: “Being captain is an act of leadership that gives the example. They are those people who, in a difficult moment, are neither shame nor hesitation in making the decision they have to make. This is leadership. Being captain is an act of responsibility».