President of the Portuguese Football Association, Pedro Proença, has come to the defence of Cristiano Ronaldo following the backlash over his absence at the funeral of late national team player, Diogo Jota.
The funeral, held in July, drew several top Portuguese stars, including Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, and Ruben Dias. However, the absence of Ronaldo, the team’s longtime captain and talisman, stirred controversy across Portuguese media and among fans online.
Critics accused the five-time Ballon d’Or winner of turning his back on his teammate in a moment of collective mourning. But according to Proença, such sentiments are misguided.
“And I say it again: what they said about our captain is unfair. Cristiano Ronaldo was one of the people who felt it the most, especially because he was a true teammate of Jota,” Proença said.
He added that Ronaldo’s decision to stay away from the ceremony stemmed from a desire not to divert attention from the solemnity of the event. “His physical absence means nothing more than that, because he never abandoned this family,” Proença added.
Naija News reports that Ronaldo’s elder sister, Katia, echoed that view, saying the Al-Nassr forward feared his presence might draw undue media focus and take the spotlight away from mourning the late striker.
“Cristiano has never been just a captain on the pitch. He’s always been part of this family, in every way that matters,” Proença added.
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