Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has said that Cristiano Ronaldo "let the team and let me down" during the Dutchman's spell at Old Trafford.
Ronaldo was 36 when he returned to Manchester United from Juventus in 2021, during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's time as manager. Under Ten Hag, he scored just three goals in 16 outings before his exit during the 2022-23 campaign. Ten Hag rejected the suggestion that he had expected Ronaldo to do the pressing, arguing that the forward could not run either in possession or out of it. "The reason was because he didn't prepare himself," Ten Hag said. He added that every top team has to embrace its top player, but that the top player has to work for the team.
Ten Hag also claimed Ronaldo had been telling teammates to save their legs in training. He said that while elite players can manage their sessions, they must first build the right fitness levels. The interview comes as Ronaldo has been given a 30-day suspension and fined 255 euros (£215) by the Portuguese Football Federation for leaving his country's international camp last month.
Ten Hag was sacked by Manchester United in October 2024, having won the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024. He said he had wanted to sign Frenkie de Jong, Harry Kane and Declan Rice, and opposed the sale of Scott McTominay to Napoli in August 2024. He said the biggest issue across his three years was goals.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing