Cristiano Ronaldo's former agent Jorge Mendes breaks silence on split with Portugal superstar after 'huge f*ck up' at Man Utd

Cristiano Ronaldo's former agent Jorge Mendes has explained where his relationship with the Portugal star stands now following their split last year.

Mendes and Ronaldo split after a long-time together
Ronaldo was frustrated at no move to UCL team
Partnered with close friend who brokered Al-Nassr move

WHAT HAPPENED? Ronaldo split with Mendes late last year after the Portuguese star's explosive interview with Piers Morgan, which the agent felt was a "huge f*ck up", according to French outlet L'Equipe. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner saw his contract at Manchester United terminated by mutual consent after the interview, ending his second spell at Old Trafford. The two men were also said to have fallen out in the summer as the super agent failed to strike a deal for Ronaldo to move to either Bayern Munich or Chelsea. Mendes has now broken his silence on his split with the Portugal international, insisting that they still remain close.

WHAT THEY SAID: "Our personal relationship continues to be close, a great personal relationship," Mendes told reporters. "How do I see this phase of his life? Cristiano will always be in my heart. He is a special player and a special person for me. If I, a few years ago, thought that I could have a player with half the value of Cristiano, I would sign for less! And all of us Portuguese should be proud to have had and still have a player like him."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Ronaldo turned to close personal friend Ricky Regufe in order to find a new club, ultimately landing an extraordinary £175 million contract at Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr.

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