Erik ten Hag has taken aim at Cristiano Ronaldo during their time together at Manchester United, declaring that he ‘let the team down, and he let me down’.
The duo were only at Old Trafford for a few months – following Ten Hag’s arrival ahead of the 2022-23 season – but it ended acrimoniously with Ronaldo leaving the club in November 2022.
During an explosive interview with Piers Morgan shortly afterwards, Ronaldo was damning of Ten Hag’s time at the club.
Reflecting on his time with the Portugal forward, Ten Hag pointed to Ronaldo’s fitness levels and lack of dedication to training.
Erik ten Hag on Cristiano Ronaldo
‘He let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him,’ Ten Hag told The Athletic.
‘Obviously, he’s one of the best in football history. I respected him a lot. But at that time, as a manager, I had to make a rational decision and keep the players I admire in.’
‘Many times I say, “Ronnie, everyone wants to work for you to bring you in the right position, but if you can’t bring yourself in the box, you can’t score”.
‘He was not capable to do this. It’s the wrong idea to put this to me that I expected him to do the pressing, that he’s exhausted. But he couldn’t. He ran neither in possession nor out of possession. The reason was because he didn’t prepare himself.
‘Every top team has to embrace the top player, but the top player has to work for the team.
‘He was telling the players, “Save your legs at the training”. I understand it when you are top fit; you have sessions, you can save the legs. But first you have to train yourself to get into the right fitness levels.’
Ten Hag dropped Ronaldo for a Premier League game at Chelsea in October 2022 after he had refused to come on as a substitute against Tottenham three days earlier.
Once he left United, Ronaldo said he no respect for the Dutchman.
‘I don’t have respect for him because he doesn’t show respect for me,’ Ronaldo said of Ten Hag at the time.
‘Some people, they don’t want me here – not only the coach but the other two or three guys. Honestly, I shouldn’t say that. But listen, I don’t care. People should listen to the truth. Yes, I feel betrayed.’
Ten Hag was sacked as Manchester United boss in October 2024, meanwhile Ronaldo is still at Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League after joining as a free agent a month after leaving the Red Devils.
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