Erik ten Hag accuses Cristiano Ronaldo of letting Manchester United down

Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has accused Cristiano Ronaldo of letting the team down during his second spell at Old Trafford, alleging that the Portuguese forward failed to maintain the required training standards.

Ronaldo was playing for United when Ten Hag took charge in the summer of 2022, but their relationship deteriorated before the five-time Ballon d’Or winner left the club in controversial circumstances.

Speaking to The Athletic, Ten Hag recalled confronting Ronaldo over what he described as a lack of effort during training sessions, insisting that the forward’s fitness levels affected his ability to meet the team’s demands.

The Dutchman alleged that Ronaldo struggled to complete training exercises, including a three-lap run he demanded following United’s humiliating 4-0 defeat to Brentford early in the 2022/23 season.

“I confronted him with this. 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’,” Ten Hag said.

He added that Ronaldo was unable to contribute sufficiently both on and off the ball, rejecting suggestions that he had unfairly expected the veteran forward to press opponents until exhaustion.

“The reason was because he didn't prepare himself. Every top team has to embrace the top player, but the top player has to work for the team,” he said.

Ten Hag also claimed that Ronaldo had encouraged teammates to conserve their energy during training, arguing that players needed to build their fitness before adopting such an approach.

The former United manager said Ronaldo’s alleged lack of preparation was particularly disappointing because the club had planned around his involvement.

“He let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him. I flew out to Portugal to speak with him about what I was aiming for before I came to United,” Ten Hag said.

Despite the criticism, the 56-year-old acknowledged Ronaldo’s place in football history, describing him as one of the greatest players ever. However, he maintained that his responsibilities as manager required him to make decisions based on the team’s needs.

“I respected him a lot. But at that time, as a manager, I had to make a rational decision,” he added.

Ronaldo eventually left Manchester United after his second spell ended amid a public fallout with the club. Ten Hag was later dismissed in October 2024 following a poor run of results.

The Dutchman is currently serving as technical director at Eredivisie club FC Twente.