Jorge Mendes worked closely with Cristiano Ronaldo during the forward’s peak years, but was not involved in the Portugal star’s mega-money move to Al-Nassr of Saudi Arabia
Cristiano Ronaldo’s former agent was nowhere to be seen as the ex-Manchester United forward celebrated his 38th birthday over the weekend.
Ronaldo, who joined Saudi title contenders Al-Nassr after leaving United by mutual agreement in November, shared photos of his celebrations in Riyadh. He was there with Ricardo Regufe, his new manager, but there was no room for Mendes after the 57-year-old played no part in the veteran forward’s move to the Gulf state.
Mendes failed to secure Ronaldo a summer move to a Champions League club after the veteran’s second spell at Old Trafford appeared to be coming to an end. When Ronaldo found his new club, signing a deal worth a reported £173m per year, his compatriot was noticeably absent.
“Thank you everyone for all the birthday messages,” Ronaldo wrote on Instagram. “Grateful to have spent the day with my family and friends.”
Along with the caption, the former Real Madrid star shared three photos marking the occasion after turning 38 on Sunday. Regufe, who has known Ronaldo for a number of years but only recently took a more active role in the five time Ballon d’Or winner’s career, joined his friend for the celebrations.
Regufe was also among those to reply in the comments section of Ronaldo’s post, sharing a string of emojis. A number of sportsmen also sent their well-wishes to the striker, including boxer Anthony Joshua and sprinter Yohan Blake.
Cristiano Ronaldo was joined by Ricardo Regufe for his birthday celebrations ( Image: INSTAGRAM@https://www.instagram.com/cristiano/?hl=en)
Mendes was by Ronaldo’s side for a number of high points in the footballer’s career. He joined his compatriot for his unveiling as a Juventus player, and joined him on the red carpet for the premiere of the ‘Ronaldo’ documentary.
However, the relationship between player and agent is believed to have soured over the course of the last year. Real Madrid reportedly ignored calls from Mendes over a potential second stint for Ronaldo in the Spanish capital.
Mendes still has a number of high-profile clients in Europe, many of whom are Portuguese. Among the group is Joao Felix, who completed a loan move from Atletico Madrid to Chelsea in January.
Jorge Mendes was nowhere to be seen at Ronaldo’s celebrations ( Image: INSTAGRAM@https://www.instagram.com/cristiano/?hl=en)
“Today is the King’s birthday,” Ronaldo’s sister Elma Aveiro wrote on Instagram. “I can’t define in words, the love I feel for you, the admiration, respect and especially gratitude, you were one of the best people I’ve met in this World and I say not just because you’re my blood, it’s really hard to meet someone like you.”
“Another year repeated for many many years, because life is the world has no sunshine without you. Enjoy a lot my dear brother, I love you very much.”
The celebrations came just days after Ronaldo scored his first goal as an Al-Nassr player. He converted a late penalty to secure a draw against Al-Fateh, ensuring his team sits top of the table on goal difference.
