Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has accused Cristiano Ronaldo of letting him and the club down, claiming the Portuguese star failed to meet the team’s fitness and training standards.
Speaking to The Athletic on Tuesday, Ten Hag recalled how he tried to build a working relationship with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner before taking charge at Old Trafford.
“He let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him,” Ten Hag said.
“I flew out to Portugal to speak with him about what I was aiming for before I came to United.”
Despite the criticism, Ten Hag praised Ronaldo’s place in football history but said his decisions had to benefit the team.
“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,” he added.
Ten Hag claimed Ronaldo sometimes pulled out of training and failed to reach the required heart rate levels. He also recalled that after United’s 4-0 loss to Brentford in August 2022, Ronaldo completed only two of the three punishment laps.
“I confronted him with this,” Ten Hag said.
He also questioned Ronaldo’s movement and work rate, saying the forward needed to get into better scoring positions.
“Ronaldo was telling the players: save your legs at training,” he said.
Ten Hag insisted that top players must work for the team, not just expect support from others.
Ronaldo’s relationship with Ten Hag worsened during the 2022/23 season. He left United in November 2022 after a controversial interview in which he criticised the club and its management.
