Shock split confirmed for this couple as things take a nasty turn

Rumours were rife last week that legend footballer Cristiano Ronaldo had split from his model girlfriend Irina Shayk, and now the news has been confirmed by the sportsman himself.

"After dating for five years, my relationship with Irina Shayk has come to an end," Cristiano said in a statement today. "We believed it would be best for both of us to take this step now." 

The couple began dating in 2010 but things took a nasty turn in recent weeks, with Irina reportedly refusing to attend Cristiano's mum's 60th birthday party. A recent trip to Dubai for the couple also ended in a "massive argument," according to one source.

When things get hostile we agree it's always best to bite the bullet and end things, but we hope the rumours about Cristiano already moving on with another woman are not true!

The footballer has been linked to journalism graduate Lucia Villalon, with the pair pictured smiling together as they travelled back from Zurich following Cristiano's Ballon D'Or win. Although these rumours have yet to be confirmed, we have to admit they look pretty cosy together:

We hope for Irina's sake that her ex hasn't moved on just yet.