Almost four years after Cristiano Ronaldo’s acrimonious departure from Manchester United, Erik ten Hag has reopened their feud.
The former United manager claims the Portuguese forward let both him and the team down, questioning his preparation, fitness, and willingness to follow instructions.
In a recently published article, Ten Hag alleged that Ronaldo failed to complete a running exercise following a heavy defeat at Brentford in August 2022. He also claimed the forward encouraged teammates to conserve energy during training, despite needing to improve his own fitness.
Ten Hag, who was new to the job at the time, had legitimate reasons to exert his authority. He was attempting to establish standards and could not allow the dressing room’s most famous player to decide which instructions deserved compliance.
Ronaldo’s refusal to come on as a substitute in the Tottenham match in October 2022, followed by his departure before the final whistle, also presented a clear disciplinary problem. His subsequent interview with the journalist Piers Morgan, during which he declared his lack of respect for Ten Hag, made reconciliation considerably harder. His contract was terminated by mutual agreement that November.
However, managing Ronaldo required sensitivity as well as firmness. He had scored 24 goals during the previous season and remained convinced of his ability to influence major matches. Persuading such a decorated footballer to accept a reduced role was always likely to prove difficult.
And whilst that does not justify his behaviour, the Dutchman’s inability to handle him properly is also an indictment of his man-management skills.
Nor can Ten Hag use that as an explanation for what happened later. Ronaldo departed during Ten Hag’s first season. The Dutchman subsequently had almost two years to develop a team without him, winning two domestic cups but ultimately losing his job.
Ronaldo cannot reasonably bear responsibility for subsequent recruitment decisions, tactical shortcomings, or inconsistent performances.
Reopening their feud may explain one troubled relationship, but does not give the full picture as to why Ten Hag ultimately failed at United.
