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.

Superstar athletes Cristiano Ronaldo and LeBron James took to social media Thursday to pay their respects to Liverpool soccer star Diogo Jota following his death.