Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca has leapt to the defence of Cristiano Ronaldo after the veteran striker was accused of snubbing the funeral of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva.
Liverpool star Jota and Silva, who performed for Penafiel within the Portuguese second division, have been killed in a automotive crash in northern Spain on July 3 and buried two days later.
Ronaldo and Jota have been members of the Portugal squad that gained the Nations League in June however the nationwide workforce captain, who performs for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, opted to not attend the funeral and as a substitute remained on a household vacation in Majorca.
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‘Immensely unfair to criticise Cristiano’
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United star was accused of an absence of respect however Proenca mentioned he was closely energetic behind the scenes.
He informed Expresso: “It is immensely unfair to say that Cristiano was one way or the other chilly in relation to this matter.
“From the primary hour, the captain was one of many individuals who was most with the nationwide workforce household, and the blood household of Jota himself.
“It’s an injustice what they mentioned about our captain Cristiano Ronaldo. He was a type of who felt it most as a result of he was a real companion of Jota.
“His physical absence means nothing because he never abandoned this family.”
Ronaldo nonetheless scoring objectives for Portugal
Ronaldo scored within the Nations League last win over Spain, extending his personal worldwide file of objectives to 138. It was additionally his eighth in 9 Nations League video games – second solely to Arsenal and Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres.
Some Portugal followers imagine it’s time for coach Roberto Martinez to maneuver on from 40-year-old Ronaldo however Proenca says his worldwide profession will finish the identical approach as everybody else’s.
He added: “Cristiano will depart the nationwide workforce both of his personal free will or as a result of he’s finally now not a technical or sporting possibility. It will occur to Cristiano as with all different participant.
“This doesn’t stop us from saying that we wish Cristiano to be in our nationwide workforce for a few years. He is, if not the very best, undoubtedly the most effective Portuguese gamers of all time.
“He is a brand that goes beyond Portugal and I wish Cristiano could be eternal. Obviously, human nature has limits.”
