Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has accused Cristiano Ronaldo of letting both the club and him down during their time together at Old Trafford, alleging that the Portuguese forward failed to meet the team’s fitness and training standards.
Ten Hag made the remarks in an exclusive interview with The Athletic on Tuesday, reflecting on his difficult relationship with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner during his tenure as United manager.
“He let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him,” Ten Hag said.
“I flew out to Portugal to speak with him about what I was aiming for before I came to United.”
Despite his criticism, the Dutchman acknowledged Ronaldo’s place in football history, describing him as one of the game’s greatest players.
“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,” he added.
Ten Hag also alleged that Ronaldo struggled to meet the club’s fitness requirements, claiming that the forward sometimes withdrew from training sessions and failed to achieve the required heart rate levels.
He also recalled an incident after United’s 4-0 defeat to Brentford in August 2022, when players had to run laps as punishment. According to Ten Hag, Ronaldo completed only two of the three laps.
The former manager said he confronted Ronaldo over his fitness and positioning, insisting that the forward needed to work harder to put himself in scoring positions.
“I confronted him with this,” Ten Hag said.
“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 also claimed that Ronaldo did not contribute sufficiently to the team’s pressing and defensive work, alleging that the forward encouraged teammates to conserve their energy during training.
“Ronaldo was telling the players: save your legs at training,” he said.
“I understand it when you are top fit, but first you have to train yourself to get into the right fitness levels.”
The Dutchman maintained that while managers must accommodate their best players, star footballers must also accept their responsibilities to the team.
“Every top team has to embrace the top player, but the top player has to work for the team,” Ten Hag said.
Ronaldo’s relationship with Ten Hag deteriorated during the 2022/23 season, culminating in the forward’s departure from Manchester United in November 2022 following a controversial interview in which he criticised the club and its management.
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