New Al Nassr striker Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly parted ways with his agent Jorge Mendes following a big disagreement about the superstar's off-field behaviour.
The Portuguese forward infamously made the headlines in November following an interview with Piers Morgan, during which he slammed Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag, some of his teammates and the club's owners.
Read: EPL boss reacts to 'clause' that Ronaldo could play for him
Soon afterwards, the Red Devils agreed to mutually terminate his contract, with Ronaldo missing out on £16 million (R324 million) in lost wages as he became a free agent.
Then, at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the 37-year-old lost his starting role with Portugal after struggling to find the back of the net in Qatar, scoring just one goal altogether at the tournament.
During the global showpiece, it became clear that Ronaldo would not get his wish of joining a team in the UEFA Champions League, and agreed to join Saudi Arabian giants Al Nassr, with the player being officially unveiled by his new club on Tuesday evening.
Now, according to Portuguese publication Publico, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has split from his long-time agent Jorge Mendes following his controversial interview with Morgan.
It is claimed the representative did not want Ronaldo to do the interview with Morgan, and knew that once the video clip aired, there would be no chance of finding another top club in Europe who would sign the forward at the wages he wanted.
Ronaldo is said to have felt he could attract interest from the best teams in Europe if he performed at the World Cup in the Middle East, but Mendes thought otherwise, believing that only Al Nassr could match his salary demands.
Read: Ronaldo: I had many offers in Europe, I chose Al Nassr
The report adds that the two-decade partnership between Mendes and Ronaldo had been deteriorating for a while, with the footballer's personal manager, Ricardo Regufe, negotiating personal terms with Al Nassr before the deal was sealed to see the striker become football's highest-paid player in history.
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