Ten Hag: Cristiano Ronaldo let Manchester United and me down

Erik ten Hag, the former Manchester United manager, has said Cristiano Ronaldo "let the team and let me down" during their time together at Old Trafford. The Dutch coach has spoken about the striker's controversial exit in November 2022, just months after the pair started working together.

• Ten Hag says Cristiano Ronaldo let him and the Manchester United dressing room down.
• The Portuguese forward left the club in November 2022 after saying he did not respect the manager.
• Ten Hag explains that Ronaldo did not press and did not prepare himself at the required fitness level.
• The Dutchman reveals he wanted to sign Frenkie de Jong, Harry Kane and Declan Rice, and opposed Scott McTominay's sale.
• The interview emerges while Ronaldo serves a 30-day ban imposed by the Portuguese Football Federation.

What Ten Hag says about Cristiano Ronaldo's Manchester United exit

The former Ajax coach recalls travelling to Portugal before taking charge to explain his plans face to face. "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," he said in an interview with The Athletic.

The relationship broke down for good in October 2022, when Ronaldo refused to come on as a substitute against Tottenham and Ten Hag dropped him for the Premier League game at Chelsea. Weeks later, the Portuguese star gave an interview in which he said he felt "betrayed" by the club and did not respect his manager.

Running without the ball: Ten Hag's main criticism of Ronaldo

Ten Hag has rejected the idea that he demanded too much pressing from the veteran forward. "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," he explained.

The manager believes every top team must embrace its star players, but those stars must also work for the collective. According to his account, Ronaldo even told teammates to save energy in training: "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."

Cristiano Ronaldo's record under Ten Hag at Manchester United

Ronaldo returned to Manchester United in 2021, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in charge, at the age of 36. Under Ten Hag he appeared in only 16 matches and scored three goals before leaving the club during the 2022-23 campaign, after his departure was described as mutually agreed.

The signings Ten Hag wanted but could not make

Beyond the Ronaldo chapter, the Dutch coach has reflected on the squad issues that defined his three seasons in Manchester. He says he asked for specific reinforcements from his first summer and that a lack of goals was the biggest burden of his tenure.

I said for the first season, 'centre-half, there's a problem, centre-midfield, there is a problem, and especially I need a strategist, then we need goals'. And that was the biggest issue in all my three years: goals.

Ten Hag wanted to bring in Frenkie de Jong, Harry Kane and Declan Rice, deals that never materialised. He was also against the sale of Scott McTominay to Napoli in August 2024, a decision that was out of his hands.

Where Ten Hag and Ronaldo stand now

Manchester United sacked Ten Hag in October 2024. He leaves with a Carabao Cup won in 2023 and an FA Cup lifted in 2024, a record that was not enough to keep the project alive.

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo is serving a 30-day suspension and a 255-euro fine imposed by the Portuguese Football Federation for leaving his country's international camp last month. The forward, now at Saudi side Al-Nassr, remains Portugal's main reference.

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