Cristiano Ronaldo right-hand man Ricky Regufe leaves Portugal’s national team to prioritize superstar’s £175M-a-year Al-Nassr career

Ricky Regufe who is an advisor and friend to Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his departure from the Portugal squad. This news comes as Roberto Martinez is preparing to make his managerial debut for Portugal.

Portugal is prepared to embark on a new era under Roberto Martinez but will be missing Regufe, who has a close connection with the Portuguese Superstar. The agent has been with the Portugal squad for 20 years. In that time they won a Euro and a Nations League trophy.  The close contact of the former Red Devil star was particularly instrumental in his transfer to Al-Nassr. He is part of an exodus that saw Fernando Santos leave after he failed to have a good World Cup campaign.

Former coach Fernando Santos benched CR7 for Portugal’s last two World Cup 2022 games, and Martinez is yet to decide who would wear the armband for his team. Pepe, Portugal’s veteran defender, was named captain at the most recent FIFA’s the Best awards, where Ronaldo was not seen. This has put much speculation into who will be the new captain under Martinez.

What did Ricky Refuge write about Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo?

Refuge wrote about his departure from the national team in an Instagram post which said,

“It was an honor and a privilege to have served my country as a member of the national team entourage for two decades. I’ve lived unforgettable moments and made lifelong friends. To watch closely the national team win the two major trophies it has won to date and witness Cristiano Ronaldo’s consecration as the best player in the world. I thank the players, coaches, and staff for everything we experienced together. A new stage begins but the desire to see our national team win is always the same!”

What is Cristiano Ronaldo’s right-hand man Ricky Regufe’s future now?

Ricky Refuge has been close friends with Al Nassr captain for quite some time. He will now be more involved with Ronaldo’s career after helping him land a £175M-a-year contract at Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr. Previously, Ronaldo had parted ways with former agent Jorge Mendes who was angry that Ronaldo gave an interview with Piers Morgan. Ricky will now handle Ronaldo’s career ambitions.

New manager Roberto Martinez was previously the manager of the Belgian national team. He had failed to win anything with Belgium’s Golden Generation. The Spanish coach stepped down from the role after Belgium failed to progress from the group stage in the last World Cup. Portugal then called Martinez to fill their empty manager seat. He will now manage them through their first games after the World Cup.

While Ronaldo has been called back to the national team, he may not be a starter yet. Given how Benfica star Goncalo Ramos is in a good form right now, the former Madrid forward may be on the bench yet again. However, he could still be involved in some capacity given his status on the national team.