Cristiano Ronaldo’s family thanked Liverpool supporters for their show of support towards the Manchester United star and his partner following the tragic death of their baby son.
Liverpool fans sang ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone” in the seventh minute of Tuesday night’s league clash between the two teams and joined fans of their fierce rivals in an impeccably-respected minute’s applause.
Ronaldo’s Madeira-based sister Elma showed her emotion overnight by publishing footage of the gesture on her social media and writing: “Thank you for this Liverpool. We will never forget what you did today." She finished her message with a heart emoticon.
Sibling Katia, posting from her home in Brazil, wrote: "Way beyond football" against her own video set against the chorus of You’ll Never Walk Alone. The sisters and their mum Dolores Aveiro also demonstrated they are placing their faith in God to help them overcome the tragic loss that has afflicted the family.
Dolores, quoting a well-known verse from the Bible which has helped many people through difficult times, wrote on her Instagram in Portuguese: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your way acknowledge Him And he shall direct your Paths.”
The Portugal international and his 28-year-old partner Georgina Rodriguez announced on Monday night one of their twins had died. They said in a heart-wrenching statement: “It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce that our baby boy has passed away.
"It is the greatest pain that any parents can feel. Only the birth of our baby girl gives us the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness.
"We would like to thank the doctors and nurses for all their expert care and support. We are all devastated at this loss and we kindly ask for privacy at this very difficult time. Our baby boy, you are our angel. We will always love you.”
The couple had announced last October they were expecting twins and Spaniard Georgina revealed she was carrying a boy and girl in a touching video featuring their daughter Alana Martina, four, and Cristiano’s three children Eva, Mateo and Cristiano Jr.
The United forward did not feature in Tuesday night’s match because of the tragedy. A Liverpool fan account on Facebook proposed the idea of holding a minute’s applause for Ronaldo and his family ahead of the game. They asked for fellow supporters to clap during the seventh minute - in reference to Ronaldo’s No7 jersey.
The post read: “If you are lucky enough to be attending the game, please show a mark of respect to Ronaldo and his family by taking part in the round of applause which will be held in the seventh minute. Rivalries should be set aside in heartbreaking circumstances such as these. You’ll Never Walk Alone, CR7 Jr.”
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, whose team won 4-0, described the applause afterwards as the “moment of the game.” He said in a post-match press conference: “My moment of the game was the seventh minute when the whole stadium showed pure class, so many things are much more important in life than football. We feel for Cristiano and his family."
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