Cristiano Ronaldo’s sister, Katia Aveiro, has spoken out about why her brother didn’t go to the funeral of late Liverpool player, Diogo Jota. She hinted that the decision was made to protect the family’s privacy during a difficult time.

Ronaldo was not present at the funeral held on Saturday at the Igreja Matriz church in Gondomar. Many people in Portugal expected him to show up and were upset when he didn’t.

Aveiro explained that her brother didn’t attend because his presence might have caused a lot of media attention. This could have disrupted the peaceful atmosphere of the funeral.

She also criticized those who are more focused on Ronaldo’s absence than on the real issue – the tragic loss of Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre.

On her Instagram story, Katia shared her personal experience of when she and Ronaldo lost their father back in 2005.

She said that when their father died, the family had to deal with a large number of reporters and curious people at the cemetery and chapel. Even back then, the media was overwhelming, and it’s even worse today.

Katia recalled that many important people were at their father’s funeral, including former Portugal coach Luís Filipe Scolari. However, she was so heartbroken that she didn’t even notice them.

She pointed out that unless someone has been through such a painful experience, they can’t truly understand it. She added that she won’t tolerate anyone criticizing her brother over this matter.

Katia expressed how upsetting it is to see media and social media focus on Ronaldo’s absence instead of supporting the grieving family. She called it shameful and said people should be more respectful.