‘He let Manchester United down’ – Ten Hag recounts fallout with Ronaldo

Erik ten Hag says Cristiano Ronaldo let Manchester United and his manager down by failing, in his account, to meet fitness and training standards. He recalls that Ronaldo completed only two of the three laps ordered after United’s 4-0 defeat to Brentford in August 2022 and says the forward struggled to get into scoring positions and contribute to pressing. Ten Hag said he still respected Ronaldo as one of football’s greatest players, but believed star players had to work for the team. Their relationship worsened during the 2022/23 season, and Ronaldo left United in November 2022 after a controversial interview.