Lukaku refuses to attend his father's funeral in Congo

Brothers Romelu and Jordan Lukaku have announced their inability to attend their late father Roger Lukaku's funeral after his body was kept in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, instead of being transported to Belgium, a decision that deeply upset them. In a joint statement on Instagram, the brothers explained that they had planned to hold the funeral on Friday in Brussels, but decisions were made in Kinshasa that prevented this, confirming that the funeral will take place there. Romelu Lukaku, the Napoli striker, said: "Our father passed away on September 28th, and we did everything we could to bring his body back to Europe, but we felt like we were being blackmailed by certain people. If our father were here, he would never have agreed to it." The statement added that some family members tried to exploit the situation, which left a painful impact on them, noting that their father had warned them about such family disputes during his lifetime. The passing of former Congolese international Roger Lukaku left a huge void in the lives of his two sons, who have long spoken of his pivotal role in their football careers, from childhood to stardom.