Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has explained why his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo broke down, saying the forward failed to live up to the plans they had discussed before the Dutchman took charge at Old Trafford.
Ronaldo was still at United when Ten Hag was appointed in 2022, but their relationship quickly turned sour, ending with the Portugal international leaving the club later that year.
In an interview with The Athletic, Ten Hag said he had personally travelled to Portugal to discuss his vision with Ronaldo before officially beginning his job.
“He let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him,” he said.
“I flew out to Portugal to speak with him about what I was aiming for before I came to United.
“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 in.”
The disagreement reached a turning point in October 2022 when Ronaldo refused to come on as a substitute against Tottenham Hotspur. Ten Hag subsequently left him out of the squad for the Premier League clash with Chelsea.
Ronaldo responded in a November interview, saying he felt “betrayed” by Manchester United and did not respect the manager. His second spell at the club ended shortly afterwards by mutual agreement.
Ten Hag also challenged the suggestion that he had demanded too much pressing from Ronaldo, insisting the issue was the forward’s preparation and contribution to the team’s work.
“It’s the wrong idea to put this to me that I expected him to do the pressing, that he’s exhausted,” added Ten Hag. “But he couldn’t. He ran neither in possession nor out of possession. 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 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.”
The interview comes amid reports that Ronaldo has received a 30-day suspension and a €255 fine from the Portuguese Football Federation following his departure from the national team’s international camp last month.
Ten Hag, who was sacked by Manchester United in October 2024, won the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024 during his time at the club.
