Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has spoken out about his strained relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo, stating that the forward let both him and the club down during his second spell at Old Trafford. When Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was manager, ronaldo was 36 when he returned to Manchester United from Juventus in 2021. That he’s exhausted,” added Ten Hag. “But he couldn’t, it’s the wrong idea to put this to me that I expected him to do the pressing. He ran neither in possession nor out of possession.
Ten Hag, who took charge in the summer of 2022, revealed that he had initially flown to Portugal to discuss his tactical vision with the player. While acknowledging Ronaldo’s status as one of the greatest footballers in history, the former coach felt compelled to make rational managerial decisions.
The tension culminated in October 2022 when Ten Hag dropped Ronaldo from the squad for a Premier League match against Chelsea. The decision followed an incident three days prior where the Portugal international refused to appear as a substitute in a game against Tottenham. Ronaldo later participated in an interview where he admitted feeling betrayed by the club and explicitly stated he did not respect the manager.
Ten Hag offered a detailed critique of Ronaldo’s fitness levels and work rate, noting that while top teams should support their stars, those players must in turn work for the collective. But first you have to train yourself to get into the right fitness levels. According to i, For the first season, ‘centre-half, there’s a problem, centre-midfield, there is a problem, and especially I need a strategist, then we need goals’.
He alleged that Ronaldo advised other teammates to save their energy during training sessions, a practice Ten Hag dismissed as counterproductive for players who had not yet achieved the necessary fitness standards. The reason was because he didn’t prepare himself. I understand it when you are top fit – you have sessions you can save the legs.
Under Ten Hag’s leadership, Ronaldo scored three goals in 16 appearances before his departure was mutually agreed upon. He scored just three goals in 16 outings before his exit during the 2022-23 campaign, under Ten Hag.
Reflecting on his broader three-year stint at the club, which ended with his sacking in October 2024, Ten Hag identified a persistent lack of goals as the primary issue. He revealed that he had unsuccessfully targeted high-profile signings such as Frenkie de Jong, Harry Kane, and Declan Rice to address gaps in the squad. Additionally, he expressed his opposition to the sale of Scott McTominay to Napoli in August 2024.
Despite his exit, Ten Hag pointed to the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024 as key achievements during his tenure. The discussion surrounding his management of Ronaldo comes as the veteran forward faces disciplinary action from the Portuguese Football Federation, having received a 30-day suspension and a 255 euro (215 pounds) fine for departing from the national team’s training camp last month.
