Ten Hag Accuses Cristiano Ronaldo of Letting Him and Man United Down

Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has accused Cristiano Ronaldo of letting both him and the club down during their time together at Old Trafford, claiming the forward failed to meet the team’s fitness and training standards.

Ten Hag made the allegations in an interview with The Athletic published on Tuesday, reflecting on his strained relationship with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner during his spell in charge of the Premier League club.

“He let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him,” Ten Hag said. He added that he had travelled to Portugal to discuss his plans for Manchester United with Ronaldo before taking over as manager.

Despite the criticism, Ten Hag acknowledged Ronaldo’s achievements and status in football history, describing him as one of the greatest players the game has seen. He said his decisions were based on what he believed was best for the team.

The Dutchman also questioned Ronaldo’s fitness levels, alleging that the forward sometimes withdrew from training sessions and struggled to meet the club’s required heart-rate targets. These claims formed part of Ten Hag’s explanation of why he believed Ronaldo was not meeting the standards he expected.

Ten Hag recalled Manchester United’s 4–0 defeat to Brentford in August 2022, after which players were reportedly required to run laps as punishment. According to the former manager, Ronaldo completed two of the three laps.

He also said he challenged Ronaldo over his positioning and ability to get into scoring areas, arguing that the forward needed to work harder to benefit from his teammates’ efforts. Ten Hag further alleged that Ronaldo did not contribute enough to pressing and defensive duties and encouraged teammates to conserve energy during training.

Ten Hag maintained that elite clubs must support their leading players while expecting them to work for the collective good. Ronaldo’s relationship with the manager deteriorated during the 2022/23 season, and he left Manchester United in November 2022 after a controversial interview in which he criticised the club and its management. Ten Hag’s latest comments offer his account of the breakdown in their relationship, with the training and fitness claims attributed to the former manager.