Erik ten Hag interview: How Cristiano Ronaldo 'let Manchester United down'

The Portugal international played just 16 times for ten Hag, the relationship between manager and star player never truly developing.

In a Q&A with The Athletic, ten Hag revealed how he often clashed with Ronaldo over preparation for matches.

Ronaldo did not fully take part in training, nor punishments - only running two of the required three laps ten Hag forced his players to run 13.8km after the side were outran by the same distance against Brentford.

Ten Hag started: “He let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him.

“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.

“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. It's the wrong idea to put this to me that I expected him to do the pressing, that he's exhausted. But he couldn't. He ran neither in possession nor out of possession. The reason was because he didn't prepare himself.

“Every top team has to embrace the top player, but the top player has to work for the team.”

Clash: Erik ten Hag and Cristiano Ronaldo

AFP/Getty

Ten Hag also stated that Ronaldo attempted to convince teammates to share his mindset, implying that training sessions were draining the team in matches.

The Dutchman explained: “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.”

Ronaldo’s response at the time eventually led to his contract at Old Trafford being ripped up ahead of the World Cup in Qatar, the former Real Madrid winger leaving Manchester United in November 2022.

He claimed he had been ‘betrayed’ by ten Hag in an interview he conducted with Piers Morgan, also stating that 'I don't have respect for him because he doesn't show respect for me’.

Every top team has to embrace the top player, but the top player has to work for the team

Erik ten Hag

Ten Hag dropped Ronaldo in October 2022 for Man United’s clash against Chelsea following the attacker’s refusal to come on as a substitute against Tottenham the game prior.

Ronaldo’s falling out with ten Hag shares similarities with his dispute with national team boss Jorge Jesus.

However, in a statement released after the argument, Ronaldo has acted far more contrite than he ever did during his spat with ten Hag, asking to be punished by the Portuguese FA.