Erik ten Hag says Cristiano Ronaldo "let the team down" during his time as Manchester United manager, revealing that the Portuguese forward told teammates to save their legs in training.
The Dutchman had kept his counsel on United in the two years since his sacking in October 2024. He broke that silence in a wide-ranging interview withThe Athletic, conducted over two evenings in his hometown of Enschede, where he now works as technical director of FC Twente, his boyhood club.
Ten Hag insisted his decision on Ronaldo was a rational one, despite his admiration for the player. He said he had travelled to Portugal to explain his plans to Ronaldo before taking the United job.
Ronaldo had returned to Old Trafford in a high-profile transfer from Juventus in 2021, a summer before Ten Hag was appointed from Ajax.
Despite an impressive first season prior to the new manager’s arrival, issues soon arose as Ronaldo’s ageing legs and Ten Hag’s tactics clashed.
“Cristiano Ronaldo 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. He's one of the best in history. I respected him a lot. But as a manager, I had to make a rational decision.”
- Erik ten Hag to The Athletic
The former United boss pointed to Ronaldo's approach on the training pitch, saying the forward had not done enough to get himself into shape.
"He ran neither in possession nor out of possession. The reason was because he didn't prepare himself," Ten Hag said. "Every top team has to embrace the top player, but the top player has to work for the team."
He added: "Cristiano Ronaldo was telling the players: save your legs at training. I understand it when you are top fit, but first you have to train yourself to get into the right fitness levels."
The interview also addressed the broken "promises" that Ten Hag believes led to his exit.
He said selling Scott McTominay was ruled out in discussions with the board, only for a U-turn on the midfielder’s future. McTominay was later sold to Napoli for £25m and helped the Italian side toSerie A success in his debut season.
Despite those frustrations, Ten Hag says he remains attached to the club. "I really want United to win. I want them to be successful again. I want the club to be back where it once was," he said.