The Athletic published an extensive interview today with former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, in which he addressed his previous conflict with Cristiano Ronaldo.
During his tenure at Manchester United, Ten Hag was dissatisfied with the team culture; he felt compelled to play the "bad cop" to enforce standards, while simultaneously tasked with selecting players he believed could win football matches. The situation with Ronaldo proved similar after the Portuguese superstar returned to Old Trafford in August 2021 for his second spell at the club.
"He let the team down, and he let me down, because we had a plan with him," Ten Hag said. “Before I even arrived at United, I flew to Portugal to speak with him about my expectations. Clearly, he is one of the greatest players in the history of the game. I respect him immensely. But as the manager at that moment, I had to make rational decisions and keep the players I rated.”
Ten Hag alleged that Ronaldo walked out of training sessions and that, even when he did participate, his heart rate failed to meet required training targets. Following Manchester United's disastrous 4-0 defeat away at Brentford in August 2022, Ten Hag ordered additional running drills, and Ronaldo completed only two of the three assigned laps.
"I put the problem right in front of him," Ten Hag said. “I told him multiple times, 'Ronnie, everyone wants to work for you and help you find the right positions, but if you cannot get yourself into the box, you will not score goals.' He couldn't do it. People claimed I demanded he press and that it wore him out completely, but that is a misconception. He simply couldn't do it. He wouldn't run, whether on the ball or off it. The reality was that he had not prepared himself physically.”
“Every elite club must embrace top-class players, but top-class players must also work for the collective team.”
“He told the other players, 'Save your legs in training.' I can understand managing your legs in certain sessions when you are in peak condition, but first you must train properly to reach that physical baseline.”
The Athletic contacted representatives for Cristiano Ronaldo regarding Ten Hag's comments, but received no response by the time of publication.
Ten Hag also believed that Ronaldo's influence spilled over to certain teammates: "The players must take accountability; they carry heavy responsibilities. For some, football was not the most important priority. And for others, Manchester United was not the most important priority."
