Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Manchester United ended badly in 2022, as it followed a period of discontent with then-manager Erik ten Hag and an infamous interview with journalist Piers Morgan was followed by some bad performances of the club.
Ten Hag, who was sacked by United in 2024, has now made explosive revelations about Ronaldo's behaviour during his second stint at the club.
In a recent interview with The Athletic, the Dutch manager said Ronaldo let both him and the club down, and that his poor conduct may have had a negative influence on the rest of the squad.
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"He let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him," ten Hag noted.
"I flew out to Portugal to speak with him about what I was aiming for before I came to United. 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," ten Hag elaborated on this matter.
Fitness And Work-Rate Under The Scanner
During his second spell at United, Ronaldo's off-the-ball work-rate was heavily debated. Many critics said his lack of work-rate led to a decline in the team's defensive shape.
Ten Hag has now gone further, claiming that CR7 did not reach the right fitness levels and ended up a liability both on and off the ball.
"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 of doing 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," he added.
"Every top team has to embrace the top player, but the top player has to work for the team," .
Ten Hag also suggested that Ronaldo's conduct may have rubbed off on others in the dressing room. Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho were reportedly reprimanded for a poor attitude during that period.
"Players have to act, they have a big responsibility. Football is, for some, not the highest priority. And United for some wasn't the highest priority," the 56-year-old concluded.
Ten Hag's Time At United
Ronaldo left at the end of 2022, but ten Hag stayed at United for another year and a half. He won the EFL League Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024.
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A Turbulent Period Since
Things have improved at Manchester United since ten Hag's departure, but only briefly. His spell was followed by a tumultuous period under Portuguese manager Ruben Amorim, during which United finished 15th in the Premier League and lost the Europa League final in 2024-25.
Current Manager, Michael Carrick has taken United back to the Champions League, but the Red Devils are once struggling again in the ongoing 2026-27 season.
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