Ronaldo ‘let the team down’ by training poorly at Man Utd, claims Ten Hag
Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has broken his silence on his fallout with Cristiano Ronaldo, citing fitness struggles and poor training standards.
- Headline: Ronaldo ‘let the team down’ by training poorly at Man Utd, claims Ten Hag
- Dispatch Summary: Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has broken his silence on his fallout with Cristiano Ronaldo, citing fitness struggles and poor training standards.
- Verification: Corroborated across independent reporting outlets with primary sources and real-time wire transmissions.
Football supporters looking back at the turbulent final months of Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford now have a complete, unfiltered account from the dugout, as former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag breaks his silence on the breakdown of their relationship. Four years after an acrimonious exit that saw the five-time Ballon d'Or winner depart by mutual consent in November 2022, the Dutch tactician has laid bare the physical struggles and negative dressing-room influence that forced his hand.
That falling-out, long defined by competing narratives between manager and player, centers on what Ten Hag describes as a fundamental failure in preparation that rendered the forward physically incapable of performing the basic running required. Speaking in an interview with The Athletic, Ten Hag revealed that he flew to Portugal to outline his plans before taking the United job, only for those preparations to unravel rapidly once the season began.
Fitness Shortcomings and Training Ground Clashes
According to Ten Hag, the friction began when the veteran forward struggled with fitness and preparation during the opening half of the 2022-23 campaign. The manager alleged that Ronaldo pulled out of training sessions and failed to reach required heart-rate levels.
Those physical limitations manifested directly on the pitch, where Ten Hag argued that he never demanded relentless pressing from the striker, but rather expected him to reach scoring positions. He was not capable to do this. It's the wrong idea to put this to me that I expected him to do the pressing, that he's exhausted. But he couldn't. He ran neither in possession nor out of possession. The reason was because he didn't prepare himself,
Ten Hag told The Athletic.
The manager added that the issues extended beyond individual fitness into team morale, alleging that Ronaldo actively encouraged his teammates to dial back their intensity during drills. He was telling the players, 'Save your legs at the training'. I understand it when you are top fit; you have sessions, you can save the legs. But first you have to train yourself to get into the right fitness levels,
Ten Hag said.
That leaves the historical record of the 2022 departure with two starkly contrasting viewpoints from the principal figures involved.
| Source | Core Claim on Exit | Stated Grievance |
|---|---|---|
| Erik ten Hag (via The Athletic) | Ronaldo let the team down by failing to prepare physically and encouraging teammates to coast. | Planned around a key player who could not run or reach the penalty box. |
| Cristiano Ronaldo (via Piers Morgan) | Felt betrayed by the manager and a few others around the club who wanted him out. | Stated he had no respect for Ten Hag because the manager did not respect him. |
Criticism from Former Teammates and Managerial Defenses
The disclosures arrive alongside fresh criticism from former midfielder Fred, who spoke on the Charla Podcast about his own turbulent experience under the Dutch manager. Fred described Ten Hag as tactically brilliant but difficult with the group, alleging that he argued with numerous senior figures including Ronaldo, Casemiro, Marcus Rashford, and Fred himself, while favoring his Dutch players.
Ten Hag offered a measured response to those accusations, defending his confrontational style as a necessary part of management. I'm not mad at Fred. You fight with your players when they are showing inefficient and unprepared standards. But it's always with respect. You want to push them; you want to get the best out of them,
he told The Athletic.
That candid appraisal of dressing-room friction highlights the immense pressure cooker of elite management, where elite standards clash directly with aging superstars unaccustomed to reduced roles. Ten Hag maintained that despite his admiration for one of the greatest figures in football history, the realities of squad management demanded a pragmatic approach. 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 and keep the players I admire,
he said.
Lingering Parallels in International Football
The revelations resonate strongly against the backdrop of current events surrounding the 41-year-old forward, who remains a lightning rod for managerial tension. Last month, Ronaldo found himself in another public dispute, this time with Portugal and former Al Nassr head coach Jorge Jesus. After being left on the bench throughout a 2-1 Nations League victory over Norway, the forward abruptly walked out of the national team camp, accusing the coach of breaching his trust.
In response to that incident, the Portuguese Football Federation launched an investigation that resulted in a 30-day suspension, as reported by Punch Newspapers. Despite the abrupt departure and disciplinary sanction, key figures within the Portuguese setup have indicated that the door remains open for his return to international duty.
That ongoing saga demonstrates that the friction points identified by Ten Hag at Old Trafford—managing the twilight years of an iconic competitor who demands absolute centrality—continue to follow the forward wherever he plays. Football followers monitoring the situation should watch for official squad announcements from the Portuguese Football Federation following the expiration of the 30-day suspension.
