Ronaldo let Man Utd down says Ten Hag

Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has criticized Cristiano Ronaldo for letting the team down during his second spell at the club. The Portuguese star was in his second spell at United when ten Hag was appointed in 2022. Tensions quickly developed between ten Hag and Ronaldo, with the striker refusing to come on as a substitute in a win over Tottenham in October 2022.

Ronaldo was subsequently dropped for a match against Chelsea, leading to an explosive television interview where he accused United of betraying him and not respecting ten Hag. United terminated Ronaldo's contract shortly after. Ten Hag stated that Ronaldo pulled out of training sessions and failed to complete the full run set for players after a 4-0 loss to Brentford early in his tenure.

He claimed that Ronaldo was not capable of the pressing required and had not prepared himself for matches. Ten Hag also criticized United's owners for failing to fulfill promises they made before he was sacked in 2024, despite the team winning the FA Cup just months earlier. The Dutch manager blamed the club's hierarchy for several of his problems, including the sale of Scott McTominay without his consent and his inability to sign Harry Kane, Declan Rice, and Frenkie de Jong.