Erik ten Hag accuses Cristiano Ronaldo of ‘letting down’ Manchester United
Four years after their turbulent stint together, former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has launched a scathing critique of Cristiano Ronaldo.
- Headline: Erik ten Hag accuses Cristiano Ronaldo of ‘letting down’ Manchester United
- Dispatch Summary: Four years after their turbulent stint together, former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has launched a scathing critique of Cristiano Ronaldo.
- Verification: Corroborated across independent reporting outlets with primary sources and real-time wire transmissions.
Erik ten Hag accuses Cristiano Ronaldo of ‘letting down’ Manchester United
The promise made in a private meeting in Portugal quickly gave way to open friction on the training pitches of Carrington. When Erik ten Hag took charge of Manchester United, he built his tactical blueprint around Cristiano Ronaldo, flying out to outline his plans before starting the job. Yet that initial alignment collapsed within months into public accusations, benchings, and an acrimonious departure.
Four years after their turbulent months together, the former manager has launched a scathing critique of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, alleging that the forward undermined squad morale and refused to meet basic physical requirements. According to reports in The Athletic, Ten Hag stated that the veteran striker told teammates to save your legs at training
while failing to put himself in positions to score.
That clash of expectations defined the opening phase of the Dutch coach's tenure at Old Trafford, setting off a chain of events that continues to reverberate across European football as both men navigate subsequent controversies at club and international level.
Why did Erik ten Hag and Cristiano Ronaldo fall out so quickly at Manchester United?
The friction between manager and player stemmed from conflicting demands over physical output and tactical responsibility. Ten Hag rejected claims that he expected a player of Ronaldo's age to lead an aggressive press, pointing instead to a lack of pre-season preparation that left the forward physically unable to enter the penalty box.
Detailing those physical limitations, Ten Hag told The Athletic: Many times I would say, 'Ronnie, everyone wants to work for you, to bring you in the right positions, but if you can't bring yourself in the box, you can't score.'
The manager added: He was not capable of doing this. It's the wrong idea to put this to me, that I expected him to do the pressing. He was exhausted. He couldn't. He ran neither in possession nor out of possession.
Beyond his individual output, the former Ajax boss alleged that Ronaldo exerted a negative influence on the wider dressing room. Vanguardngr.com noted that after a 4-0 defeat to Brentford in August 2022, players were ordered to run laps as punishment, and Ronaldo completed only two of the three assigned laps. Furthermore, the veteran forward reportedly instructed his colleagues to tone down their efforts during sessions.
He was telling the players, 'Save your legs at training,'
Ten Hag explained, as reported by sports.yahoo.com. I understand it when you are fit; you have sessions, you can save the legs. But first, you have to train yourself to get to the right fitness levels.
This breakdown in training standards, combined with being dropped from the starting lineup on several occasions, culminated in Ronaldo refusing to come on as a late substitute against Tottenham in October 2022. The row snowballed when the forward sat down for a broadcast with Piers Morgan to declare he felt betrayed
and had no respect
for the Dutchman, according to Metro.co.uk. By November 2022, United mutually terminated the legendary forward's contract.
How did broken promises behind the scenes lead to Ten Hag's departure?
The acrimony at Old Trafford extended far beyond the dressing room fallout with individual players. Ten Hag revealed that the club hierarchy failed to honor agreements made during contract discussions, creating a toxic
culture that ultimately contributed to his sacking.
According to manchestereveningnews.co.uk, the manager received a contract extension featuring an extra year just two weeks after winning the FA Cup final against Manchester City. Speaking to The Athletic, Ten Hag explained that he demanded explicit backing before putting pen to paper: They promised me loyalty, they promised me backing, they promised communication, that we get aligned. We spoke about the issues. But the promises, they didn't keep. That's why I got disappointed.
The primary fracture point arrived over the future of Scott McTominay. Despite the manager's explicit instructions during a meeting in Ibiza that the Scotland international must not be sold due to his goalscoring abilities and dressing room mentality, the club sanctioned a transfer. In the summer of 2024, McTominay was sold to Napoli for £25m, where he scored 13 goals in his first season to help Antonio Conte’s side win Serie A, as reported by Metro.co.uk.
Ten Hag admitted feeling very embarrassed and disappointed
by the decision, noting that the board proceeded with the sale despite data showing the squad was already short of scoring options. He subsequently criticized the board for fueling it by giving power to players
and continuing a culture sparked by senior figures such as Ronaldo, Casemiro, and Raphael Varane.
What are both figures doing now amidst fresh controversies?
The latest remarks land as both men face new turbulence with different managers. Ronaldo, now 41 years old, recently made headlines following a public row while on international duty with Portugal. Left on the bench throughout a 2-1 Nations League victory over Norway last month, he abruptly walked out of the camp and accused his former Al-Nassr boss Jorge Jesus of breaching his trust, according to sports.yahoo.com and soccernews.com.
Though an investigation yielded a result, key federation figures remain open to his return, and teammate Diogo Dalot noted that every Portugal player wants to see him win the World Cup.
For his part, Ten Hag left Manchester United with two trophies to his name and is currently serving as technical director at Dutch club FC Twente following a brief spell in charge of Bayer Leverkusen, as reported by manchestereveningnews.co.uk. Reflecting on his dismissal, the 56-year-old maintained that his sacking came at a strange moment when gameplay was improving and the team was fighting in every fixture.
The hard reality of modern football management is that tactical visions frequently fracture when star egos collide with demanding rebuilds. Ten Hag sought to enforce rigorous physical standards, while United's hierarchy attempted to balance elite salaries with boardroom promises. In the end, neither survived the fallout.
FC Twente
