'Life will never be the same again' - Romelu Lukaku removes all Instagram posts with Napoli striker in mourning after his father passes away aged 58

Lukaku has announced the death of his father Roger, who passed away at the age of 58. The Napoli striker, joined by his brother Jordan, shared an emotional tribute on Instagram, writing: “Life will never be the same again.” 

As part of his mourning, the Belgian striker has since deleted all previous posts from his profile, leaving only a picture with his father. In it, he thanked Roger for protecting and guiding him, admitting the pain “flows like rivers.” The symbolic act underlines the depth of his grief during what is already a testing period due to injury. 

Lukaku posted on his Instagram profile in memory of his father: "Thank you for teaching me everything I know. I will always be grateful and appreciate you. Life will never be the same again. You protected and guided me like no one else could have done. I will never be the same again. The pain and tears are flowing freely. But God will give me the strength to get back up. Thank you for everything."

Roger Lukaku, a former striker for Zaire who also played in Belgium and Turkey, had a complicated yet influential role in his sons’ lives. Though his relationship with Romelu and Jordan suffered following his divorce, Roger expressed his hopes of reconciliation in 2023, saying: "I hope this article reopens the floodgates. I feel like one day things will be okay again, because the current situation is hurting me so much." Despite past struggles, Romelu credited him for teaching him “everything I know.”

Lukaku who delivered 14 goals and 10 assists in Serie A last season, is currently recovering from a thigh injury that could rule him out until early 2026. Napoli will hope he can return fully fit, but for now, football takes a back seat as their No.9 focuses on family, healing, and eventually finding strength to step back on the pitch.

Additional reporting by Stefano Silvestri.