Super agent Jorge Mendes feels personally hurt from his split with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo effectively sacked his agent of over 20 years last month after Mendes failed to find him a European club following his release by Manchester United.

The Portuguese great eventually signed for Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr, as his relationship with Mendes was terminated.

A source told L'Equipe, "To understand this relationship, let's say that there was a strong connection between the employee and the employer. There was a friendship, a connivance, a connection.

"Cristiano [Ronaldo] paid Jorge [Mendes] and, despite everything, he should not have replaced him."

The source stated that the souring of relations was motivated by reasons "more sentimental than financial".

"It's not something you can imagine in agents of this calibre, but there can be moments of loneliness. It's as if the wife had left him after meeting a lover..."