Ten Hag says Ronaldo 'let the team down' with poor training habits at Manchester United

Ten Hag accuses Ronaldo of poor preparation and bad influence at Old Trafford

Erik ten Hag has alleged that Cristiano Ronaldo was a bad influence on his team-mates during his second spell at Manchester United, saying the forward "let the team down" through his attitude towards training.

Speaking to The Athletic, Ten Hag said Ronaldo and he had planned together before the Portuguese joined the club, with the manager having flown to Portugal to discuss his vision for the team. Ronaldo and Ten Hag spent only a few months together at Old Trafford in the early stages of the 2022-23 season, a period marred by a public falling-out that affected the first half of United's campaign.

"He let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him," Ten Hag said. "I flew out to Portugal to speak with him about what I was aiming for, before I came to United."

Ten Hag said he had great respect for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, but that as a manager he had to make rational decisions and keep players he admired.

"Many times I would say, 'Ronnie, everyone wants to work for you, to bring you in the right positions, 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. He was exhausted. He couldn't. He ran neither in possession nor out of possession."

The Dutchman placed the blame on Ronaldo's preparation, claiming the forward had not prepared himself properly and that he had been telling team-mates to save their legs in training.

"He was telling the players, 'Save your legs at training'. I understand it when you are fit; you have sessions, you can save the legs. But first, you have to train yourself to get to the right fitness levels."

Ronaldo's relationship with Ten Hag broke down

Ronaldo reportedly wanted to leave the club in the summer of 2022, and amid tensions with Ten Hag his contract was terminated in November of that year. In an explosive interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo said he felt "betrayed" by Ten Hag and did not respect the Dutchman, who had dropped him from the starting lineup on several occasions.

International career in doubt after new row

Ronaldo has also been in the headlines recently after another public row with a head coach. He was left on the bench by Jorge Jesus during Portugal's 2-1 Nations League win over Norway last month, after which he abruptly left the Selecao camp and accused his former Al-Nassr boss of breaching his trust.

Although his international career remains in doubt, key figures in the Portuguese Football Federation have opened the door for the 41-year-old to return. He was handed a 30-day suspension from the Portugal setup following an investigation into the incident.