Ten Hag Blames Ronaldo for Manchester United's Struggles

Erik ten Hag, the former manager of Manchester United, accused Cristiano Ronaldo of letting the club and his teammates down due to his failure to meet fitness and training standards during their time together at Old Trafford. In an interview with The Athletic on October 20, Ten Hag revisited the breakdown of their relationship, stating, “He let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him.” He acknowledged Ronaldo's status as one of football's greatest players but emphasized the need to prioritize team decisions.

Ten Hag alleged that Ronaldo sometimes withdrew from training sessions and did not reach the required heart rate levels. He recalled a 4-0 defeat to Brentford in August 2022, where Ronaldo completed only two of three punishment laps.

Ten Hag criticized Ronaldo's movement in the penalty area and claimed he encouraged teammates to conserve energy during training. The relationship soured during the 2022/23 season, culminating in Ronaldo's departure from Manchester United by mutual agreement in November 2022, after a controversial interview.

He subsequently joined Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr.