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Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has opened up about his strained relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo, accusing the Portuguese superstar of letting both him and the team down during their time together at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag, who managed United between 2022 and 2024, said Ronaldo failed to meet the team's training demands and questioned the forward's preparation and commitment to the collective effort during his second spell at the Premier League club.
The Dutchman, who is now the technical director of FC Twente, made the revelations in an interview with The Athletic, revisiting the breakdown in his relationship with Ronaldo that preceded the striker's controversial departure from Manchester United in November 2022.
While acknowledging Ronaldo's status as one of the greatest players in football history, Ten Hag insisted he had to make difficult decisions in the interests of the team.
"He let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him."
"I flew out to Portugal to speak with him about what I was aiming for before I came to United," 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."
Ten Hag provided further insight into the tensions that developed between the pair following the manager's appointment at Old Trafford in the summer of 2022.
According to the Dutchman, Ronaldo struggled to meet the physical demands he expected from his players, including maintaining the required intensity during training sessions and completing scheduled running exercises.
Ten Hag also claimed that the forward did not complete all the laps assigned to United players following their disastrous 4-0 defeat to Brentford in August 2022.
The former Ajax manager insisted that his expectations were not unreasonable and rejected suggestions that he had demanded Ronaldo undertake excessive pressing despite his age and physical limitations.
"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," Ten Hag said.
The Dutchman also revealed that he repeatedly confronted Ronaldo about his positioning and his ability to get into the penalty area, arguing that the forward needed to put himself in better positions to score.
"I confronted him [ Ronaldo ] Many times I say, ' Ronnie, everyone wants to work for you to bring you in the right position, but if you can't bring yourself in the box, you can't score .'
"He was not capable to do this."
Ten Hag and Ronaldo's disagreement extended beyond tactical preferences, with the manager believing Ronaldo's preparation and training habits were affecting his ability to contribute to the team's playing style.
The former United manager also criticised Ronaldo's reported attitude towards training intensity, claiming the Portuguese forward encouraged teammates to conserve their energy during sessions.
Ten Hag acknowledged that managing workloads could be appropriate for players who had already achieved the required fitness levels but argued that the approach was unsuitable for those who needed to improve their conditioning.
"Every top team has to embrace the top player, but the top player has to work for the team," he said.
"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."
This highlights the challenge Ten Hag faced in attempting to balance Ronaldo's standing as one of football's most decorated players with his demands for collective discipline and adherence to his tactical system.
Ronaldo had returned to Manchester United in August 2021, rejoining the club where he had spent six successful years between 2003 and 2009 before establishing himself as a global superstar at Real Madrid.
However, his second spell deteriorated after Ten Hag replaced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2022, with disagreements over his role and the team's approach contributing to their eventual separation.
The relationship between Ten Hag and Ronaldo reached a breaking point in October 2022 following Manchester United's Premier League meeting with Tottenham Hotspur.
Ronaldo refused to come on as a substitute and left the touchline before the final whistle, prompting Ten Hag to drop him from the squad for the subsequent league match against Chelsea.
The incident intensified speculation about the forward's future, with tensions between the player and manager becoming increasingly difficult to contain.
In November 2022, Ronaldo gave a controversial interview in which he said he felt "betrayed" by Manchester United and claimed he did not respect Ten Hag.
He also accused the club of attempting to force him out, further damaging an already fractured relationship.
United and Ronaldo subsequently agreed to terminate his contract by mutual agreement, bringing his second spell at Old Trafford to an abrupt end.
Ronaldo had scored three goals in 16 appearances under Ten Hag during the 2022-23 campaign before leaving the club.
His departure concluded a turbulent period in which a player once regarded as the face of Manchester United became embroiled in a public dispute with the club's management.
Ronaldo was not the only source of frustration for Ten Hag during his time at Old Trafford.
The Dutchman also revealed that he felt Manchester United was not the highest priority for some members of the squad.
He mentioned that the club's wider culture presented challenges to his efforts to establish a consistent winning mentality, reflecting the difficulties he encountered while attempting to rebuild the team and implement his preferred footballing philosophy.
Ten Hag was appointed in 2022 after an impressive spell at Ajax, where he won domestic honours and developed a reputation for organising tactically disciplined teams.
At Manchester United, however, he faced the pressure of managing a squad containing established international stars while attempting to restore the club to the top of English and European football.
Although he won the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024, his tenure was marked by inconsistent Premier League performances and disagreements over recruitment and the club's long-term direction.
United dismissed him in October 2024.
Beyond the Ronaldo controversy, Ten Hag also discussed the recruitment decisions that shaped his Manchester United tenure, revealing that he wanted to sign
The former manager said he had identified key areas that needed strengthening, particularly central defence, midfield and the team's ability to score goals.
"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'."
"That was the biggest issue in all my three years: goals ," Ten Hag said.
De Jong, whom Ten Hag had previously coached at Ajax, was repeatedly linked with a move to Old Trafford but remained at Barcelona.
Kane and Rice were also among the high-profile players Ten Hag wanted, although neither joined Manchester United during his tenure.
The Dutchman also revealed that he opposed the sale of Scott McTominay to Napoli in August 2024, indicating that he disagreed with at least some of the club's decisions regarding squad composition.
Ten Hag further described his experience with United's hierarchy as one involving "broken promises", suggesting that disagreements over the club's plans and recruitment contributed to the difficulties he faced.
These have provided a broader picture of a tenure in which clashes with senior players were accompanied by concerns about recruitment, squad balance and the club's overall direction.
The publication of Ten Hag's interview also comes amid fresh disciplinary developments involving Ronaldo and the Portugal national team.
The Portuguese Football Federation imposed a 30-day suspension on the forward and fined him €255 following his walkout from the national team's camp during the previous international break.
Despite the punishment, Ronaldo has indicated that he remains available to represent Portugal if selected again in the future.
The latest development has renewed attention on the veteran forward's conduct, although the disciplinary case involving Portugal is separate from the disagreements that led to his departure from Manchester United.
Ronaldo remains one of the most decorated players in football history, having enjoyed remarkable success with
However, Ten Hag's latest revelations narrates how his second spell at Old Trafford unravelled, with the manager insisting that the Ronaldo's individual standing could not exempt him from the collective responsibilities expected of every player.
Ten Hag left Manchester United with two major domestic trophies but without delivering the sustained progress the club had hoped for when appointing him.
Nevertheless, his departure in October 2024 reflected the club's dissatisfaction with its overall performance under his leadership.
Since then, United have undergone further changes in the dugout, with his successor, Ruben Amorim, also leaving the club and Michael Carrick taking charge.
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