Cristiano Ronaldo and Nereida Gallardo

London, July 14: Cristiano Ronaldo has ended his relationship with his Spanish girlfriend before an operation last week on his injured right ankle, it has been claimed.

Ronaldo, 23, has been seeing Nereida Gallardo, 24, since January.

The Portuguese winger, who scored 42 goals as Manchester United won the Premier League title and Champions League last season, has been resting at his home in Sintra north of Lisbon, after undergoing ankle surgery last week. The footballer, who had previously dated Gemma Atkinson, had been considered “smitten” with Nereida, a Majorcan-born model.

However, according to Portuguese tabloid 24 horas, Ronaldo was tired of seeing lurid newspaper headlines about the model and her past.

He said the break-up was “a secret of the Gods”, but the paper said Nereida had a strained relationship with his mother Dolores, who believed she was more interested in her son’s money and fame.

Nereida is currently at home with her mother Ana and stepfather Francisco Jose on the outskirts of Palma, Majorca. She told friends she was planning to meet Ronaldo at the weekend in Portugal — but cancelled her flight after injuring her foot in a fall and ended up going to Ibiza.