Cristiano Ronaldo has broken down in tears after being shown footage of his late father during a television interview.
The Juventus and Portugal star saw the film of Jose Dinis Aveiro, an alcoholic who died of liver failure at the age of 52, speaking about his son on his doorstep during an hour-long chat with Piers Morgan.
Ronaldo, crying, said: “I never saw the video. I never saw that video. Unbelievable.”
Asked how it felt to hear his father talking of his pride at his son’s achievements, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid player added: “Yes, a lot.
“I think the interview would be funny, but I didn’t expect to cry. But I never saw these images. I don’t know where you… I have to have these images to show my family.
“But I really don’t know my father 100 per cent. He was a drunk person. I never spoke with him, like a normal conversation. It was hard.”
Ronaldo was just 20 when his father died and missed many of the biggest moments of his career, which include five Champions League titles, the same number of Ballons d’Or and leading his country to Euro 2016 and Nations League glory.
The 34-year-old father of four said: “My family see, my mum, my brothers, even my old son, but my father, he didn’t see nothing (sic), and it was… he died young.”
Ronaldo revealed facing a rape allegation made him feel embarrassed in front of his family saying: “It makes you feel so bad.
“One day I was at home in the living room with my girlfriend and then (on) the news they speak about Cristiano Ronaldo.
“You listen to your kids coming down the stairs and you change the channel because I was embarrassed, I feel embarrassed.”
Ronaldo has always denied the claims made by model Kathryn Mayorga that in 2009 the football star raped her in a Las Vegas hotel room.
The local Las Vegas authorities announced there was not enough evidence to bring criminal charges against Ronaldo but Mayorga has brought forward a civil case.
Cristiano Ronaldo Meets Piers Morgan airs Tuesday at 9pm on ITV
