Cristiano Ronaldo’s surprising decision to skip teammate Diogo Jota’s funeral was made out of respect for the grieving family, his sister claimed.

Jota, who played for Liverpool in the English Premier League since 2020 and was a member of the Portuguese national team since 2019, was with Silva in a car near Zamora, Spain when it crashed. The accident remains under investigation, with speeding and a tire blowout looked at as possible causes.

Cristiano Ronaldo has reacted to the death of his Portugal teammate Diogo Jota, saying it "doesn't make sense." Liverpool star Jota, 28, died in a car accident in Spain on Thursday along with his younger brother, André Silva, a professional soccer player with Portuguese side FC Penafiel.