Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has accused Cristiano Ronaldo of letting him and the team down during their time together at Old Trafford.
Ronaldo was in his second spell at United when Ten Hag took charge in the summer of 2022, but left the club later that year following a public fallout with the Dutchman.
Speaking to The Athletic, Ten Hag said he had personally travelled to Portugal to discuss his plans with Ronaldo before taking over at United.
“He let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him,” Ten Hag said.
“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 relationship deteriorated in October 2022 when Ten Hag dropped Ronaldo for a Premier League match against Chelsea after the forward refused to come on as a substitute during United’s game against Tottenham.
Ronaldo subsequently gave an explosive interview in November 2022, saying he felt “betrayed” by the club and had no respect for Ten Hag. His departure was later mutually agreed.
Ten Hag also rejected suggestions that he expected Ronaldo to lead United’s pressing, arguing that the forward had not prepared himself adequately to meet the team’s physical demands.
“It’s the wrong idea to put this to me that I expected him to do the pressing, that he’s exhausted,” he said. “But he couldn’t. He ran neither in possession nor out of possession. The reason was because he didn’t prepare himself.”
The Dutchman added that while elite players deserved to be accommodated, they also had a responsibility to work for the team.
“Every top team has to embrace the top player, but the top player has to work for the team,” he said.
The interview comes after Ronaldo was reportedly handed a 30-day suspension and fined €255 by the Portuguese Football Federation over his departure from the national team’s international camp last month.
Ten Hag was dismissed by Manchester United in October 2024 after winning the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024. Ronaldo scored three goals in 16 appearances under the Dutchman before leaving during the 2022-23 season.
