Former Juventus and Barcelona midfielder Arturo Vidal had to view his father's funeral on social media, as he decided to stay in Brazil to play in the Copa do Brasil final.
Vidal was still playing in Europe earlier this year, even being part of the Inter Milan side who faced Liverpool in the Champions League quarter final.
The midfielder returned to South America, after agreeing with Inter to terminate his contract, back in July, ending 15 years of playing outside of the continent.
Vidal signed for Flamengo on an 18 month deal, making them his first Brazilian team, and has played 17 games for the latest club on his CV.
Advert
On Tuesday, the player's father Erasmo, passed away following a cardiac arrest, at a racecourse in Santiago, Chile, whilst looking after his son's animals.
The 61-year-old's funeral was on Thursday, but the Flamengo player was not in attendance as he couldn't get back to his home country from Brazil.
They were due to face Corinthians in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil final on Thursday night, with the midfielder deciding to play for his team in the final.
Vidal's sister Ambrar broadcast the service on Instagram Live, with the 35-year-old midfielder tuning into the broadcast and breaking down in tears.
Before the match, the five time Serie A winner took to social media, saying, "Daddy, today I’ll miss your good luck message before the match.
"But I know that you’ll be supporting us from Heaven. We’ll win this cup and the next one for you and for everyone who supports me on a daily basis."
Vidal didn't start the game at the Neo Quimica Arena, in Sao Paulo, but came on in the second half, with 25 minutes left of the match.
The two sides drew 0-0 in Corinthians home game and well play against each other in the second leg on Wednesday night, at the famous Maracana Stadium, home of the Rio De Janeiro side.
Flamengo posted their own message of condolences to the player after the funeral, saying, "We regret to inform you about the death of Erasmo Vidal, father of our player Arturo Vidal. We wish him strength at this difficult moment."
Chilean media reported on the rumoured relationship between Vidal and his father, but the 61-year-old did look after the player's animals at home in Chile.
After being found at the racecourse, they posted their own statement revealing the circumstances of his death, saying, "On Tuesday morning Erasmo Vidal was found inside the enclosure by security staff.
"When they saw he was in a bad way, they contacted paramedics who work on site and rushed to the scene to provide emergency medical attention and call for more help.
"Ambulance workers continued to try to save him when they arrived but his condition deteriorated as a result of cardiac arrest and hypovolemic shock and sadly he died."
Topics: Arturo Vidal, Brazil, Flamengo
Ryan Sidle