Four years of silence broken: Former Man Utd coach Erik ten Hag admits he left Ronaldo because he was too unsuitable for Premier League football

Former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag says Cristiano Ronaldo failed to meet fitness standards and let team-mates down during training. Cristiano Ronaldo’s second spell at Manchester United ended in a public confrontation, an explosive conversation and an exit that neither side seemed willing to avoid. Almost four years later, Erik ten Hag offered a detailed account of what he says went wrong behind the scenes, including training sessions, fitness standards and the moment he decided his admiration for a great player could not outweigh his responsibilities to the team.

The Hag says Ronaldo let Manchester United down

The Hag joined Manchester United in April 2022, inheriting Ronaldo, who returned to Old Trafford in August 2021 after spells at Real Madrid and Juventus. The Dutch manager traveled to Portugal to discuss his plans with the striker before taking charge and says he treated the relationship with considerable respect.“I flew to Portugal to talk to him about what I was heading for before I came to United. He is obviously one of the best in the history of football. 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,” said Ten Hag. Athletic.According to him, this decision became necessary because Ronaldo did not meet the physical and tactical demands expected of him. The Hag claimed the striker had dropped out of training, failed to get his heart rate up enough when he took part and completed only two of the three infamous scheduled rounds the Ten Hag put his players through after they lost 4-0 at Brentford in August 2022.“He let the team down and he let me down because we planned with him,” Ten Hag said.

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The manager also disputed the idea that he expected Ronaldo to press opponents until he was exhausted, saying the striker’s preparation and ability to get into scoring positions was an issue.“I confronted him about it,” Ten Hag said. “A lot of times I say, ‘Ronnie, everybody wants to work for you to get you in the right position, but if you can’t get into the box, you can’t score’. He wasn’t able to do that. It’s a bad idea to tell me that I expected him to press, that he was exhausted. But he couldn’t. He didn’t run in possession or because he didn’t have possession.”The Hag said elite players still have to live up to collective expectations, even if the team was built around their abilities.“Every top team has to take a top player, but the best player has to work for the team,” he said.He also claimed that Ronaldo encouraged teammates to conserve energy during training, which Ten Hag felt was only appropriate when the players had reached the required fitness.“He used to say to the players: ‘Save your legs in training’. I understand that when you’re at your best; you have training, you can save your legs. But first you have to train yourself to get in the right shape.”

Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo with manager Erik ten Hague. (Photo by Reuters)

The dispute became public after Ronaldo refused to play

The disagreement was already made public in October 2022 when Ronaldo refused to come on as a substitute during United’s 2-0 win over Tottenham. The Hag subsequently left him out of the squad for the game against Chelsea and demanded he train away from the first team.

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Ronaldo responded with an interview with Piers Morgan in which he said he felt betrayed by the club and had lost respect for the Ten Hag. His remarks made the collapse unmistakable, while his departure to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr followed at the end of 2022.“I have no respect for him because he has no respect for me,” Ronaldo said in an interview.“If you don’t respect me, I’ll never respect you. Not only the manager, but two or three other guys who are at the club.He continued: “I felt betrayed. I don’t care, people should listen to the truth. Yes, I felt betrayed. I feel like some people didn’t want me here, not only this year, but last season.”Ronaldo also said he remained committed to United and wanted the club to restore its former status.“I was and still am very happy to be here,” he said. “For me, the most important thing is to try to win games and try to win some championship or some cup, but I believe that Manchester will be where it belongs. As I said before, sometimes it takes time, but I still believe.”

Ten Hag United’s tenure is over, but its explanation remains

The Hag spent two-and-a-half years in charge at Old Trafford, winning the Carabao Cup and FA Cup before being sacked in October 2024, with United 14th in the Premier League. His account of the row over Ronaldo comes as the striker’s earlier comments emerged and renewed focus on the conflict that has shaped the manager’s time at the club.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag celebrates with the trophy after winning the FA Cup REUTERS/Hannah Mckay/File Photo

After leaving United, Ten Hag had a short three-game spell as head coach of Bayer Leverkusen before returning to the Netherlands. He is now technical director at FC Twente, his boyhood club, with a contract until mid-2028.Meanwhile, Ronaldo left Manchester United for Al-Nassr at the end of 2022 and continues his career in Saudi Arabia. The two men’s statements differ markedly in emphasis: Ronaldo described feeling betrayed and disrespected, while The Hag says the striker’s preparation and unwillingness to meet the team’s demands were the main problem. Neither explanation can erase the public rift that brought their relationship and Ronaldo’s second spell at United to an abrupt end.