Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has accused Cristiano Ronaldo of letting him and the team down during their time together at Old Trafford.
Ronaldo was in the second spell of his Manchester United career when Ten Hag became manager in the summer of 2022. However, the forward left the club later that year after a public breakdown in his relationship with the Dutchman.
Ten Hag told The Athletic that he travelled personally to Portugal before taking charge to explain his plans to Ronaldo and discuss the role he expected him to play at Manchester United.
Their relationship deteriorated in October 2022. Ten Hag left Ronaldo out of the squad for the Premier League match against Chelsea after the striker refused to come on as a substitute during the previous game against Tottenham.
Ronaldo then gave an explosive interview in November 2022, saying he felt “betrayed” by Manchester United and did not respect Ten Hag. His departure from the club was subsequently agreed by both parties.
Ten Hag has also dismissed the suggestion that he expected Ronaldo to lead Manchester United’s pressing. Instead, he argued that the forward had not done enough preparation to cope with the physical demands of the team’s approach.
The former manager said elite players should be given appropriate consideration, but also insisted they had a duty to contribute to the collective effort.
“Top players have to be accommodated,” Ten Hag said, while adding that they also carried a responsibility to work for the team.
Ronaldo scored three goals in 16 appearances under Ten Hag before leaving Manchester United during the 2022-23 season. The Portuguese forward’s exit followed a period of growing tension between the pair, which culminated in his public criticism of the club and its manager.
The Athletic interview comes after Ronaldo was reportedly given a 30-day suspension and fined €255 by the Portuguese Football Federation. The punishment followed his departure from Portugal’s national-team international camp last month.
Ten Hag was dismissed by Manchester United in October 2024. During his time in charge, the club won the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024.
His comments provide his account of the events surrounding Ronaldo’s final months at Manchester United, after a relationship that had begun with a direct meeting in Portugal ended with the player leaving the club midway through the 2022-23 season.
