Ronaldo Let the Team Down: Erik ten Hag

The conflict between Cristiano Ronaldo and Erik ten Hag at Manchester United is no secret to football fans. Now, the former United manager has opened up about the events behind that rift. In an interview with *The Athletic*, the Dutch coach discussed Ronaldo’s training habits, his work rate on the pitch, and the reasons why he often found himself left out of the starting lineup.

Ten Hag claims that during his second stint at United, the Portuguese star failed to demonstrate the expected level of effort and dedication. The former manager further alleged that Ronaldo did not adequately prepare himself to play in accordance with the team’s tactical setup.

In the interview, Ten Hag noted that he had higher expectations of Ronaldo, especially since the team’s plans were initially built around him. Before taking charge at United, Ten Hag had even traveled to Portugal to meet with Ronaldo, where he outlined his tactical approach and future vision for the club.

While acknowledging his respect for Ronaldo, Ten Hag explained that, as a coach, he had to make pragmatic decisions regarding team selection. He stated that although Ronaldo is one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, he chose to field the players he deemed most suitable for the team’s needs at the time.

During his first spell at United, Ronaldo scored 84 goals in 196 Premier League appearances. After spending 12 years at Real Madrid, he returned to Old Trafford in 2021—but his second stint ultimately proved to be an unhappy experience.

Ten Hag also raised concerns regarding Ronaldo’s on-field performance and his willingness to put in the necessary running. He revealed that he had discussed these issues directly with Ronaldo on several occasions. According to the coach, even when teammates work hard to deliver the ball into promising areas, those opportunities cannot be capitalized upon if a player fails to make the necessary runs to reach the scoring positions. Ten Hag further clarified that the primary issue was not merely the pressure placed on Ronaldo to engage in high-intensity pressing. Instead, he argued that there was a lack of necessary movement and running—both when the team was in possession of the ball and when it was not. The former United manager attributed this to a deficiency in both physical and mental preparation.

Meanwhile, in a high-profile 2022 interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo expressed his grievances against the club, alleging that Manchester United had betrayed him. In the same interview, he also criticized Ten Hag. Shortly thereafter, the relationship between the two parties came to an end.

On November 22, 2022, Manchester United announced that they had reached a mutual agreement to terminate Ronaldo’s contract. Following this, the Portuguese star participated in the Qatar World Cup, and in January 2023, he joined the Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr.

It is evident from the statements made by both Ronaldo and Ten Hag that the deterioration of their relationship at United was not limited solely to whether or not he was included in the starting lineup; rather, the conflict was further intensified by differences regarding team tactics, commitment during training, and mutual expectations.