Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Saudi Arabia has been a "fever" in recent days. And the person behind this deal also surprised many people.
Ronaldo is one of the best players in the world, so he always keeps meticulousness in all activities on and off the pitch. For more than 20 years, Jorge Mendes has been Ronaldo's career orienter, taking him from Sporting Lisbon to Manchester United, then Real Madrid and Juventus. Finally, there is a fulfilling reunion at Old Trafford.
However, in the move to Al Nassr deal, Mendes was not the one behind. Ricardo Regufe is responsible for negotiating to help CR7 get a £713 million contract in the Middle East.
Regufe and Ronaldo first met in 2000. According to The Athletic, Regufe - a former Nike employee, knew Ronaldo through his work at the Portuguese national team. After that, Regufe was assigned the task of rationalizing Ronaldo's commercial problems.
Having become good friends for more than 2 decades, Ronaldo decided to hire Regufe as his personal manager in 2018, but Mendes still plays the role of agent.
Since then, Regufe has become an important part of Ronaldo's life, often appearing next to the 37-year-old striker during luxury holidays and awards ceremonies. Even when Portugal beat France in the EURO 2016 final, Regufe came to celebrate and hug Ronaldo right on the field.
Although not considered a representative, Regufe has an impact on the sporting aspect of Ronaldo's deal to Saudi Arabia.
Notably, Regufe had an impact in the division between Ronaldo and Man United last November. According to British media, Man United often use Regufe to discuss commercial issues related to Ronaldo. The former Nike employee regularly speaks to CEO Richard Arnold and the Man United media department.
Portuguese media confirmed that Mendes will not be rewarded when Ronaldo joins Al Nassr. The reason is that Regufe directly negotiated to bring Ronaldo to Al Nassr, while Mendes did not have a role in this deal.
It was once reported that Regufe and Mendes supported Ronaldo's stay at Old Trafford and fighting for an official position under Erik ten Hag. Ten Hag had wanted Ronaldo to stay, but all plans were later ruined.
Regarding the interview with Morgan, Regufe and Mendes warned Ronaldo about the potential consequences. However, Ronaldo ignored and criticized Ten Hag, the Glazer family and some of his teammates at Man United.
Currently, the former Juventus player will start a new challenge at Al Nassr with many strange things. And of course, Ronaldo wants to maximize his brand as well as take advantage of the Asian market. At that time, Regufe will play an important role and his name will be known more.
In addition, Jorge Mendes is no longer Ronaldo's representative, as the two have had disagreements for a long time. Mendes had expected an uncertain future when Ronaldo decided to leave Juventus. Meanwhile, Ronaldo does not accept a secondary role in any team and wants to continue playing in the Champions League.
In short, Ricardo Regufe will be more attached to Ronaldo in the final chapter of his career.
