Erik ten Hag has reignited the debate surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo’s controversial second spell at Manchester United, delivering a scathing assessment of the Portuguese superstar’s attitude and commitment during their time together at Old Trafford.
The former Manchester United manager accused Ronaldo of letting his teammates down, claiming the forward failed to meet the demands expected of him despite the club’s efforts to build the team around his goalscoring ability.
Speaking to The Athletic, Ten Hag expressed his disappointment with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, revealing that the relationship deteriorated because of what he perceived as a lack of commitment to the team’s tactical requirements.
“He let the team down, and he disappointed me because we had planned with him,” the Dutchman said.
The comments offer another glimpse into the strained relationship that ultimately contributed to Ronaldo’s departure from Manchester United in December 2022. What began as the return of one of the club’s greatest former players ended in a public disagreement that attracted worldwide attention.
Ronaldo returned to Manchester United from Juventus in August 2021, completing an emotional comeback after establishing himself as a global football icon during his first spell at the club between 2003 and 2009.
His return initially delivered memorable moments, with the forward continuing to demonstrate his goalscoring instincts despite United’s broader struggles. However, the arrival of Ten Hag in 2022 brought a different tactical approach, creating tensions over Ronaldo’s role and responsibilities.
Ten Hag’s criticism centred particularly on the forward’s movement and contribution when United did not have possession of the ball.
The Dutchman explained that Ronaldo needed to make the right runs into the penalty area to benefit from the work of his teammates, arguing that his positioning and movement were not consistently meeting those expectations.
“I often said: ‘Ronnie, everyone wants to work for you to get you into the right position, but if you can’t get yourself into the penalty area, you can’t score a goal,'” Ten Hag recalled.
He also questioned Ronaldo’s willingness to work for the team, both in possession and when opponents had the ball, suggesting that inadequate preparation affected his ability to meet those demands.
For a player renowned for his dedication to fitness, meticulous preparation and additional training sessions, the criticism is particularly striking. Ronaldo built much of his career on maintaining extraordinary physical standards and an obsessive pursuit of goals, making Ten Hag’s account a sharp contrast to the image the forward has cultivated throughout his career.
However, the disagreement also reflected a broader question that frequently confronts elite football managers: how to balance the influence of a global superstar with the collective demands of a team.
Ten Hag acknowledged that successful clubs must find ways to accommodate their most influential players, but insisted that individual quality cannot come at the expense of collective responsibility.
“Every top team has to accommodate its best player, but the best player has to work for the team,” he said, adding that Manchester United were not the highest priority for everyone during that period.
The breakdown in relations eventually became public when Ronaldo lost his regular starting position under Ten Hag and expressed his frustrations during a controversial interview with broadcaster Piers Morgan in November 2022.
In the interview, Ronaldo openly criticised the club’s leadership and questioned his relationship with the manager. Manchester United subsequently terminated his contract by mutual agreement, bringing his second spell at Old Trafford to an abrupt conclusion.
He later joined Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, beginning a new chapter in his career away from European football.
Despite the difficult ending, Ronaldo’s overall record at Manchester United remains significant. Across his two spells, he scored 145 goals in 346 appearances, establishing himself as one of the club’s most recognisable modern-era forwards.
Ten Hag’s latest remarks therefore reopen an uncomfortable chapter in the history of both men. While Ronaldo’s individual achievements at United are substantial, his departure demonstrated how quickly tensions can escalate when a player’s expectations conflict with a manager’s vision.
According to The Athletic, Ronaldo was given an opportunity to respond to his former manager’s comments but did not provide a response.
Meanwhile, the Portuguese forward has also attracted attention following a separate disciplinary issue involving the national team.
The supplied report states that the Portuguese Football Federation imposed a €255 fine and a 30-day suspension after Ronaldo allegedly left the national team’s training camp early during the latest international break. The circumstances surrounding the incident were linked to reported disagreements over playing time and expectations.
However, the details of that disciplinary decision, including the reported suspension and the circumstances of his departure, require independent verification before publication.
For now, Ten Hag’s assessment is likely to renew discussion about one of Manchester United’s most high-profile managerial relationships in recent years.
Ronaldo’s legacy at Old Trafford remains defined by extraordinary goals, individual honours and memorable performances. Yet the manner in which his second spell ended continues to raise questions about the relationship between individual greatness and collective responsibility.
For Ten Hag, the central issue was not Ronaldo’s reputation or achievements, but whether the forward was prepared to fulfil the role demanded by the team’s system.
Their disagreement ultimately ended with Ronaldo leaving Manchester United and both men pursuing different paths. Years later, Ten Hag’s comments show that the dispute remains a defining part of their shared history.
