Ten Hag Criticizes Ronaldo for Letting Down Manchester United

Erik ten Hag, the former manager of Manchester United, has publicly criticized Cristiano Ronaldo, saying the player let both the club and him down during their time together. In an interview with The Athletic, Ten Hag expressed disappointment over Ronaldo’s failure to meet fitness and training standards.

Ten Hag explained that he had high hopes for Ronaldo and even traveled to Portugal to discuss his plans before taking the job at United. However, he felt that Ronaldo did not live up to expectations. “He let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him,” Ten Hag said.

Despite his criticisms, Ten Hag recognized Ronaldo’s achievements in football, calling him one of the greatest players in history. He noted that he had great respect for Ronaldo but had to make decisions based on what was best for the team.

Ten Hag pointed out that Ronaldo struggled with fitness, claiming the player sometimes skipped training sessions and did not meet the necessary heart rate levels. He recalled a specific incident after a heavy loss to Brentford in August 2022, where players had to run laps as punishment. According to Ten Hag, Ronaldo only completed two out of the three laps required.

Ten Hag confronted Ronaldo about his fitness and positioning, insisting that he needed to work harder to get into scoring positions. He said, “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.’”

Additionally, Ten Hag claimed that Ronaldo did not contribute enough to the team’s pressing and defensive efforts, suggesting that he advised teammates to save their energy during training. “Ronaldo was telling the players: save your legs at training,” Ten Hag stated.

As their relationship soured during the 2022/23 season, Ronaldo eventually left Manchester United in November 2022 after a controversial interview where he criticized the club and its management.