The life of the elder brother Hugo Aveiro would have probably been in a mess if it weren’t for the tireless efforts of his great younger brother Cristiano Ronaldo.
Hugo Aveiro, 42, Ronaldo’s brother, was once highly regarded for his football talent. But Hugo Aveiro fell into drugs and alcohol in the 1990s.
Hugo Aveiro is always by Ronaldo’s side during important events.
Drugs are something that haunts Ronaldo because his father, Jose Dinis, died because of alcoholism. Therefore, Ronaldo has made constant efforts to save his brother and now, Hugo Aveiro is the manager of the Portuguese superstar’s museum in his hometown of Madeira.
The two brothers are closer than ever, often going on summer vacations together. Ronaldo is also the godfather of Hugo’s son. His brother, who is 10 years older, was also on the flight with Ronaldo to attend the 2017 Ballon d’Or award ceremony in Paris last Thursday.
Ronaldo’s 10-year-older brother is the manager of Ronaldo’s museum in his hometown of Madeira.
Before, very few people knew about Hugo Aveiro, until the 2014 Champions League final ended. Ronaldo and Real Madrid defeated Atletico Madrid 4-1 to win the championship and then CR7 ran to the stands, took off his shirt and hugged a strange man.
An emotional hug that made headlines around the world when the story behind it was revealed. Ronaldo had made a pact with Hugo that if he won the Champions League, his brother, who is 10 years older, would stop drinking at all costs. “You won the championship and now it’s time for me to keep my promise,” Ronaldo whispered into his brother’s ear.
Ronaldo hugged Hugo Aveiro after the 2014 Champions League final and told his brother to give up drinking as promised.
It is not easy to get rid of alcohol for a man who has been addicted to drugs since his teens. For those who have been addicted to alcohol, every day is a real battle. But Hugo Aveiro did it, thanks to the strength of his great brother Ronaldo.
Hugo was born the year his father Jose Dinis was fighting for the Portuguese army in Angola. At 17, Hugo dropped out of school and went to work for an aluminum company. According to Guillem Balague, author of “Cristiano Ronaldo The Biography,” Hugo began abusing drugs while playing street soccer.
Hugo Aveiro wears Ronaldo’s number 7 shirt at Real Madrid with his close friends.
Hugo played quite well as a left winger and participated in some amateur tournaments in San Antonio. “I didn’t know much about Hugo at that time. But many people who knew Hugo thought he had more potential than his younger brother Ronaldo,” said Joel Santos, who later became Hugo’s close friend.
But CS Maritimo club president Carlos Pereira, who has known Ronaldo since childhood, does not believe this: “Hugo is a street player. He plays football, drinks, and sleeps anywhere. Ronaldo is a professional player, so it must be different. Hugo may be skillful, but he is still a street player, playing amateur football. There is nothing like Ronaldo.”
Hugo Aveiro also attended the 2017 Golden Ball award ceremony in Paris.
In the memories of the two Ronaldo brothers, the alcoholism of Jose Dinis, who died in 2005, had a great influence. While Ronaldo vowed never to drink alcohol, the alcohol almost turned his brother Hugo into a demon.
Dinis died of liver failure when Ronaldo was 20 and did not get to witness his son’s illustrious career. His death left a scar on Ronaldo, according to Dolores, the Portuguese superstar’s mother.
“I know the pain will pass, but the important thing is that I can stand up and continue my work,” Ronaldo once revealed. Ronaldo once offered to take his father to rehab and pay for all the expenses (at that time Ronaldo started earning money), but Mr. Dinis refused and continued to indulge in alcoholism.
The Ronaldo brothers are very close and the 32-year-old Real Madrid superstar is also the godfather of Hugo Aveiro’s son.
When Ronaldo arrived in Lisbon at the age of 11, earning £170 a month as an apprentice at Sporting, it was then that Hugo’s life began to spiral out of control. Dolores knew about it and had Hugo committed to rehab.
At that time, Mrs. Dolores only earned 400 pounds/month and to have money to pay for her son’s rehabilitation, she had to borrow money everywhere. But two years after leaving the camp, Hugo relapsed and this time it was Ronaldo’s turn to take responsibility.
“Cristiano was 16 at the time. He earned more money and had to pay for his brother’s drug treatment,” Dolores said. “Without Cristiano, Hugo wouldn’t be who he is today. It would be completely different if Ronaldo hadn’t been a football player.”
In a 2015 documentary by Hugo, titled “The Portuguese Footballer,” Hugo outlined his problems. Hugo admitted that working with his father introduced him to alcohol, and he became accustomed to the deadly substance without realizing it.
If it weren’t for his great brother Ronaldo, Hugo Aveiro would probably have been lost in alcohol and drugs.
“Ronaldo was lucky. Hugo was not,” said Joao Ornelas, a former neighbor of the Ronaldo family. “Hugo tried drugs, over and over again. He was addicted. He even stole things from the house to sell to buy drugs.
The difference is that Hugo never left the island, whereas Ronaldo went to Lisbon on his own at the age of 12. Ronaldo had adults to look after him, rules to follow, and walked a completely different path. A different life to his father and brother.”
