- Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag broke his silence on what caused his rift with Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford
- Ten Hag flew to Portugal before his United tenure began to discuss his plans with Ronaldo, but the relationship quickly deteriorated
- The Dutch coach questioned Ronaldo's conduct in training, including advice the forward gave to younger players at the club
Erik ten Hag has spoken publicly for the first time about the breakdown of his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo during their short-lived spell together at Manchester United, saying the Portuguese forward let both him and the team down.
Ronaldo rejoined Manchester United in 2021 from Italian side Juventus after a 12-year spell away, while ten Hag took charge the following year.
Source: Getty Images
The partnership unravelled quickly, culminating in Ronaldo's widely publicised interview with Piers Morgan and his eventual exit from the club.
Ten Hag opens up on Ronaldo rift
Speaking to The Athletic, ten Hag said he had gone out of his way to build a working relationship with Ronaldo before his first season at United even began, travelling to Portugal to outline his vision for the club.
"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 also took aim at Ronaldo's approach to training, suggesting the five-time Ballon d'Or winner was not meeting the standards he expected and was influencing the habits of younger players in a way he found problematic.
"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," ten Hag added.
Ten Hag was dismissed by United before being replaced by Ruben Amorim, who has since also departed the club. According to ESPN, Michael Carrick is now in charge at Old Trafford, with the club continuing to struggle since ten Hag's exit.
The Dutchman briefly returned to management with Bayer Leverkusen in 2025 but was let go after just two league games in charge. He currently serves as sporting director at FC Twente.
Portugal suspends Cristiano Ronaldo
Legit.ng previously reported that Portugal suspended Cristiano Ronaldo for 30 days and fined him €255 for walking out on the national team.
Ronaldo had a rift with national team manager Jorge Jesus, and he left the national team camp without permission, which caused controversy in the team and media.
Source: Legit.ng
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