In a series of Instagram posts, Katia asserted that her brother's absence from Jota's funeral was wise. She also considered the media's focus on the Portugal captain's absence, rather than respecting the grief of Jota's family, "shameful." Jota and his brother, Andre da Silva, died in a car accident on the A-52 highway near Cernadilla, Zamora province, western Spain, on 3/7. Their car suffered a tire blowout, causing it to lose control, roll over several times, and catch fire.
Two days later, many members of the Portugal national team attended the funeral service at Igreja Matriz de Gondomar. Ronaldo did not attend, fearing his presence in the small town of Gondomar would overshadow the event. Portuguese newspaper Record reported that Ronaldo spoke with Jota's family to assure them of his support.
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Photo of Katia Aveiro (right) and her brother Cristiano Ronaldo posted on Katia's Instagram in April 2022. (Instagram/Katia Aveiro) |
Photo of Katia Aveiro (right) and her brother Cristiano Ronaldo posted on Katia's Instagram in April 2022. (Instagram/Katia Aveiro)
However, some influencers described the 40-year-old striker's absence as "inexplicable," while fans said it was "unacceptable" that the national team captain didn't cut his vacation short to pay his respects. Ronaldo is 11 years older than Jota. They played 32 matches together, contributing to 7 goals for Portugal. On 9/6, they won the 2025 UEFA Nations League.
In her post, Katia recalled the 2005 incident when her father, Dinis Aveiro, died in London. At the time, Ronaldo was with the Portugal national team in Russia preparing for the 2006 World Cup qualifiers. "When my father passed away, in addition to the pain of loss, we also had to deal with cameras and onlookers at the cemetery and everywhere we went," she wrote. "The media wasn't as pervasive then as it is now. We could hardly leave the chapel, except for the burial, due to the chaos."
Katia continued: "At the funeral, there were many important figures and the national team coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari. I don't remember seeing any of them, but they surely greeted me. I was blinded by grief. Regarding pain and true support, you'll never know what it means until you experience it."
Katia declared she would block any messages criticizing Ronaldo. "That means they'll only do it once," she wrote, sharing a photo of Ronaldo surrounded by dozens of cameras at the 2022 World Cup. "Truly tiring. The fanaticism. Unreasonable criticism. Society is truly awful. It has become a bottomless pit. Human malice is also a battle. And every day, we have to fight against it. And so it goes."
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Katia in a media interview. (AFP) |
Katia in a media interview. (AFP)
Born on 5/10/1977, Katia is 8 years older than Ronaldo. She has been a pop singer since 2005. Besides Katia, Ronaldo also has a brother named Hugo and a sister named Elma.
Katia is the most active family member on social media in defending Ronaldo. In August 2022, she called Real Madrid President Florentino Perez an "old man" when he publicly refused to re-sign Ronaldo. In December 2022, after witnessing Argentina's victory while Portugal was eliminated in the quarterfinals, Katia commented that the 2022 World Cup was the worst in history. She has also mocked Ronaldo's rivals such as Gerard Pique, Luka Modric, Virgil van Dijk, and even his former club, Juventus.
Compiled by Hong Duy
