THE widow of Fernando Ricksen revealed she will hold a “second funeral” for the Rangers idol — after he asked for his ashes to be taken home to Holland in a blue urn.
Veronika, 33, is planning another service this month for the Ibrox hero in Sittard, where he began and ended his career.
Fernando Ricksen’s widow will hold a ‘second funeral’ for himCredit: Les Gallagher – The Sun Glasgow
And she revealed fans will be able to pay tribute to the Dutch ace as his ashes will be on public view in a memorial pillar within a cemetery.
The heartbroken mum told The Scottish Sun: “It was his last wish to be taken back to the country where he was born.
“It was an emotional conversation. We were both crying. He said he wanted to be cremated and didn’t want to be underground. He wanted to have a blue urn — just like Rangers’ colours. I want my husband to be in a place he’ll like and feel comfortable and somewhere I’d like to visit with our child Isabella.”
Rangers legend Fernando Ricksen’s daughter kisses Fortuna Sittard pic of her dad in touching tribute
Veronika went to Holland and found a cemetery where the urn can be displayed for up to a decade.
She has chosen a memorial pillar numbered 22 as her hubby’s iconic shirt number two was unavailable.
The Russian ex-model went on: “We will have a service for him before he goes to stay there.
Ricksen’s ashes his ashes will be on public view in a memorial pillar
“It will be a full ceremony — like a second funeral. Fans can come and visit his ashes if they want to pay respect.
“They can bring scarves and flowers but it will be cleared every ten days.”
Fernando passed away aged 43 at St Andrew’s Hospice in Airdrie last September after a brave six-year fight with MND.
Rangers hero Ricksen passed away last SeptemberCredit: Andy Barr – The Sun Glasgow
We told how Veronika and daughter Isabella, seven, were comforted by thousands of Light Blues supporters who lined the streets of Glasgow to say a final goodbye as his funeral cortege passed Ibrox.
The second service will be held in the city of his former team Fortuna Sittard. And Veronika revealed in a decade’s time she may scatter his ashes in the Caribbean.
She said: “It’s Fernando’s wish I take his ashes to the Caribbean, but he didn’t want to go there directly.
“It was his favourite place — he wants us to go to Curaçao as we’ve been there on holiday together.
“He said, ‘please don’t cry. Please make a party for me when you go’.”
Lonely Veronika also admitted she has struggled in the four months since her husband’s death.
And she fears she will no longer be able to live in Valencia, Spain, with Isabella due to money woes.
Veronika added: “It’s been terrible. Every morning we would call or text him. I miss everything about him — his jokes, his smile, his humour.
“We had a crazy love. Sometimes we wanted to kill each other but we loved each other a lot.
“My life is empty now. My mum is helping us pay for things but it’s very hard. I live day to day now.”
We told how Ibrox legend Ricksen wept tears of joy before his death when a gene test revealed he hadn’t passed on MND to his seven-year-old daughter.
The Rangers idol was desperate to know if he’d given the killer illness to Isabella and secretly arranged for her blood to be tested in a lab.
ben.archibald@the-sun.co.uk
Veronika Riksen, wife of Rangers legend Fernando, posts heartbreaking tribute to Dutch icon and says ‘Love you forever’
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
