Jorge Mendes has opened up on his relationship with Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo, claiming they are still 'close' despite cutting ties in a professional capacity last year.
Months after splitting with legendary Portugual striker Cristiano Ronaldo, the talisman's former agent Jorge Mendes has broken his silence over his relationship with the Al-Nassr star, saying that even though they severed ties professionally last year, they are still 'close'.
According to reports, Ronaldo and his longtime agent parted ways following the striker's explosive Piers Morgan interview, which resulted in his painful departure from Manchester United. Furthermore, Ronaldo is alleged to have broken up his relationship with Mendes after asking the super agency to secure him a contract with Chelsea or Bayern Munich last summer.
Ronaldo and Mendes broke their cooperation as the Portuguese football agent failed to strike a deal with either club. Ronaldo eventually signed with the Saudi Arabian team Al-Nassr. Mendes insists that his friendship with Ronaldo hasn't changed, though. "Our personal relationship continues to be close, a great personal relationship," Mendes said.
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Mendes continued to laud Ronaldo, calling him the world's greatest footballer. "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. I've always said it and I'll say it all my life: he was and is the best player in the entire history of world football! I don't have the slightest doubt, even compared to others," Mendes added.
"You have to see what he managed to do. Football is goals! There's a lot of strength there and a lot of work too. He's an example for young people and he's done everything a great professional would have to do... because he's the best of them all! But it is also true that he was a virtuous player when he was young: you were talking about Ronaldinho Gaucho and Messi, but when he was young, Cristiano was also virtuous! And strong in the 'one on one', and explosive! Cristiano has turned into a machine! Many people never really thought about that growth process that led him, in fact, to be the best in history. And for me, he will always be the best in history," Mendes concluded.
Ronaldo and Mendes split up after his heartbreaking exit from United failed to result in a move to a Champions League team. As a result, Ronaldo's close friend and personal manager Ricky Regufe ultimately arranged for his 175 million pounds per year transfer to Al-Nassr. Although Ronaldo had a great start with the club, his team's 1-1 draw with Al Ettifaq prevented them from winning the Saudi Pro League.
As a result of their 3-0 victory over Al Feiha on the road, Al Ittihad was named the Saudi Arabian champion. Ronaldo, who was unable to register a goal and was replaced in the 84th minute, had a difficult game overall. Despite joining Al Nassr in the middle of the season, Ronaldo is the fifth greatest scorer in the division this year with 14 goals in 16 league games.