A Rift That Never Healed
Erik ten Hag has accused Cristiano Ronaldo of letting Manchester United down during their troubled time together at Old Trafford. The former manager says the forward failed to meet the demands expected of him.
The remarks, made in an interview with The Athletic, offer fresh insight into one of United’s most public dressing-room disputes. Ronaldo’s second spell at the club ended in November 2022, just months after Ten Hag took charge.
“He let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him,” Ten Hag said.
Yet the Dutchman was careful to acknowledge Ronaldo’s place in football history. He described the Portuguese star as one of the game’s greatest players, while insisting that his duty as manager was to put the team first.
Fitness and Training Became Flashpoints
The relationship began to unravel early in the 2022–23 season. Ten Hag said concerns emerged over Ronaldo’s preparation and willingness to meet the physical demands of his system.
One incident followed United’s 4-0 defeat by Brentford in August 2022. Players were ordered to complete a demanding run after the loss, but Ten Hag claimed Ronaldo did not finish the full distance.
The manager also questioned the forward’s contribution during matches. He said Ronaldo struggled to get into scoring positions because he could not maintain the movement required.
“I told him that everyone was working to put him in the right position,” Ten Hag said. “But if you cannot get into the box, you cannot score.”
Ten Hag rejected the suggestion that he simply expected an ageing striker to press constantly. He argued instead that Ronaldo had not prepared sufficiently to meet the demands placed on him.
Those claims remain Ten Hag’s account of the dispute. Ronaldo’s own criticism of the manager and the club had already made clear that the breakdown was not one-sided.
The Tottenham Incident Changed Everything
The tension became public in October 2022, when Ronaldo refused to come on as a substitute during United’s victory over Tottenham Hotspur. He also left the technical area before the final whistle.
Ten Hag responded by dropping him for the following match against Chelsea. Ronaldo then gave a television interview in which he said he felt betrayed by the club and did not respect the manager.
The dispute ended with Ronaldo’s contract being terminated by mutual agreement in November 2022. He later joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr.
For United, the departure marked the end of a second spell that had begun with great expectations. For Ten Hag, it reinforced the difficult balance between managing a global star and enforcing standards across the squad.
Ten Hag Says United Broke Their Promises
Ronaldo was not the only source of frustration for Ten Hag. The former manager also accused Manchester United’s leadership of failing to honour assurances made before his dismissal in October 2024.
Ten Hag had won the League Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in May 2024. Despite the Wembley victory over Manchester City, he was dismissed after United made a poor start to the following Premier League campaign.
He said he had been promised loyalty, backing and better communication from the club’s leadership. In his view, those commitments were not upheld.
The sale of midfielder Scott McTominay to Napoli was a particular source of anger. Ten Hag said he had opposed the transfer but was unable to prevent it.
“I said, ‘No selling Scott McTominay.’ And in the end they sold him,” he said. “I got, of course, very embarrassed and disappointed.”
McTominay had been a regular contributor during Ten Hag’s time at United. His departure became a symbol of the wider disagreement over recruitment and the manager’s influence on squad decisions.
The Team Ten Hag Wanted to Build
The Dutchman also revealed that he had hoped to bring Harry Kane, Declan Rice and Frenkie de Jong to Old Trafford. Those moves did not materialise, leaving him frustrated with the squad he was able to assemble.
Kane joined Bayern Munich in 2023, while Rice moved from West Ham United to Arsenal in the same year. De Jong remained at Barcelona.
Ten Hag’s account paints a picture of a manager who believed he had not been given the full backing required to build a title-winning side. But his tenure also ended amid poor results, and the club ultimately decided that a change was necessary.
His latest comments revisit two defining conflicts of his United reign: the breakdown with Ronaldo and his strained relationship with the club’s leadership.
Both men have since moved on. But the dispute remains a reminder of the challenges faced when individual reputations, team discipline and a club’s ambitions collide.
