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6th July 2025
10:32am BST
Cristiano Ronaldo's sister has spoken out to explain why the Portugal star did not attend Diogo Jota's funeral which was held in Gondomar on Saturday (5 July).
The football world was rocked to its core on Thursday (3 July) when the devastating news was announced that Liverpool and Portugal footballer Diogo Jota had died in a car crash along with his brother Andre Silva.
Many of Jota's teammates from Liverpool and the Portugal national team attended the funeral, however, Ronaldo did not attend out of concern of taking the attention away from Jota at the funeral.
This decision did draw its critics, however, many also believed the decision to be wise and respectful.
One person who came out in defence of Ronaldo was his sister Katia Aveiro who took to Instagram to share a series of emotional posts.
She insisted that her brother was wise in the decision and took aim at those who "criticise for nothing".
She wrote: "When my father died. In addition to the pain of loss we had to deal with a flood of cameras and curious onlookers at the cemetery and everywhere we went.
"And attention was not what it is today in terms of access... At no time were we (the children) able to leave the chapel; it was only possible at the time of the burial, such was the commotion.
"At the funeral, there were presidents, coaches of the national team at the time, such as Luis Filipe Scolari, etc. I don't remember seeing any of them. And they certainly greeted me. The pain blinded me."
She added: "About pain/family and real support... You will never know what it means until you go through it. If someone sends me a message criticising anything my brother does, I will block it (completely ignore it), that is, they will only do it once.
"It's getting tiring. The fanaticism. The criticism for nothing, I repeat nothing... Sick society... We all have families. It is absurdly shameful to watch TV channels/commentators/social networks emphasising an absence (wise) rather than respectfully honouring the pain of a mutilated family destroyed by the loss of two brothers. I am even ashamed to watch. Regrettable.
"And so the world goes... Society and opinion. Today they are worthless. They themselves have become bottomless pits. I feel sorry... And war is also like that. Believe me. Human evil is also a war. And every day we have to fight against it. And so it goes."
Ronaldo penned a heart wrenching tribute on social media to his Portugal teammate Jota and his brother Andre Silva following the terrible news of his death.
He wrote: "'It doesn't make sense. We were just together in the national team, and you had just gotten married.
"To your family, your wife and your children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world. I know you will always be with them. Rest in peace, Diogo and Andre. We will all miss you."
Out of respect to Diogo Jota, Liverpool announced that they would be "immortalising" the number 20 shirt in his honour.
