Over time, Cristiano Ronaldo and Erik ten Hag have offered conflicting perspectives on their turbulent time at Manchester United, but the Dutchman has now provided fresh insight into why their relationship deteriorated so quickly. In a revealing interview, the former manager revisited his difficult spell alongside one of soccer’s greatest players, explaining why he ultimately felt forced to make a decision that changed both of their careers.
Ten Hag made his feelings clear when discussing the Portuguese superstar, admitting that their working relationship fell short of his expectations despite his admiration for Ronaldo’s extraordinary career. “He let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him,” Ten Hag said in 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.”
The former United manager explained that he had travelled to Portugal before taking the job to discuss his plans with Ronaldo, hoping to build a successful team around the experienced forward. However, he believed the player struggled to meet the physical demands and tactical expectations his system required.
Tensions escalated in October 2022 when the Portuguese superstar refused to come on as a substitute against Tottenham and left the Old Trafford tunnel before the final whistle. Ten Hag subsequently dropped him from the squad for the following match against Chelsea, further deepening the divide between the two.
That November, the veteran gave a controversial interview with Piers Morgan, saying he felt “betrayed” by the club and declaring that he had no respect for Ten Hag. Manchester United and Ronaldo mutually terminated his contract later that month, paving the way for his move to Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.
Training standards became major source of tension
Ten Hag’s strongest criticism concerned Ronaldo’s preparation and willingness to contribute to the team’s pressing game. The Dutchman rejected suggestions that he had simply demanded too much running from the veteran forward, arguing that the underlying problem was his fitness and preparation.
“He was not capable of doing this. It’s the wrong idea to put this to me, that I expected him to do the pressing, that he’s exhausted. He couldn’t. He ran neither in possession nor out of possession. The reason was because he didn’t prepare himself,” the Dutch manager said.
He also alleged that Ronaldo encouraged teammates to conserve energy during training sessions, potentially undermining the standards he wanted to establish across the squad. “He was telling the players, ‘Save your legs at training’,” Ten Hag recalled. “But first, you have to train yourself to get to the right fitness levels.”
Brentford defeat exposed their differences
One incident that illustrated the disagreement followed Manchester United’s humiliating 4-0 defeat to Brentford in August 2022. Ten Hag ordered his players to complete recovery runs after the performance, but he claimed Ronaldo failed to finish the full punishment, completing only two of the three scheduled laps.
The manager also described repeatedly challenging the forward to improve his positioning inside the penalty area, where he believed Ronaldo needed to work harder to benefit from his teammates’ efforts. “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,” Ten Hag said he told the striker.
