"Others would have skipped World Cup in Cristiano's condition"

"It's clear Ronaldo would have rested more if he weren't so professional… He always wants to play", Mendes told journalists when asked about CR7's knee problems in 2014.

The super-agent went on to lavish praise on Cristiano for having put his body on the line by going to the World Cup in Brazil. "If it'd been someone else, they wouldn't have played", noted Mendes, underscoring the fact that the Ronaldo we saw at the tournament was a shadow of the player who sealed Portugal's place at the finals with four goals in their play-off against Sweden.

Mendes also insisted that the patellar tendinosis that plagued Ronaldo last year is "in the past" and that the forward will be "the same player as ever" in the coming years. "Off the pitch he is a role model for kids because of how he leads his day-to-day life", he added.

The agent was speaking during the launch of the book 'Jorge Mendes - Special Agent' and took the opportunity to criticise what he called the "illegal" decision to ban third-party ownership (TPO) in European football.

"Don't smaller clubs have the right to seek financial assistance to compete at a high level?" queried Mendes, who has links with several investment funds, adding that the "dark" world of TPO as it has been portrayed "does not exist".