Cristiano Ronaldo’s sister, Katia Aveiro, has strongly defended her brother after he faced widespread criticism for not attending the funeral of his Portuguese teammate Diogo Jota, which took place on July 5. Ronaldo’s absence drew backlash, especially since other players traveled to Jota’s hometown despite their own football commitments.
Taking to Instagram, Aveiro shared emotional stories, recalling the intense media intrusion and public chaos their family endured during their father’s funeral in 2005. She described the scene as “total destruction in a cemetery,” where people climbed over graves and showed no respect — not out of homage, but driven by curiosity and spectacle.
In her posts, Aveiro condemned those attacking Ronaldo, pointing out that he had publicly expressed condolences and that further criticism served no constructive purpose. “Criticism for nothing. I repeat, nothing. A sick society. We all have families,” she wrote.
She also called out media outlets and social media users for focusing more on Ronaldo’s absence than respectfully mourning Jota and his brother, who both tragically passed away. “It's absurdly shameful… Human evil is also a war,” she wrote, urging people to show compassion rather than judgment.
Her statements offered rare insight into the personal pain the Ronaldo family has experienced, and she firmly advocated for empathy, privacy, and dignity during times of loss.
