Erik ten Hag has accused Cristiano Ronaldo of being a poor trainer when the duo worked together at Manchester United, saying the forward "let the team down."
Ronaldo 'let the team down' by training poorly at Man Utd, claims Ten Hag
Cristiano Ronaldo was a bad influence on his team-mates during his second spell at Manchester United, Erik ten Hag has alleged.
Ronaldo and Ten Hag spent a brief few months together at Old Trafford in the early stages of 2022-23, with their spectacular falling-out marring the first half of United's campaign.
Ronaldo reportedly wanted to leave the club in the summer of 2022, and amid tensions with new boss Ten Hag, his contract was terminated in November.
In an explosive interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo said he felt "betrayed" by Ten Hag and did not respect the Dutchman, who had dropped the five-time Ballon d'Or winner from his starting lineup on several occasions.
And now, speaking to The Athletic, Ten Hag has alleged Ronaldo was a bad influence on many of his team-mates, even urging them to tone down their efforts in training.
"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.
"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.
"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 reason was because he didn't prepare himself. Every top team has to embrace the top players, but the top players must work for the team.
"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 has been in the headlines again recently, over another public row with a head coach.
Having been left on the bench by Jorge Jesus during Portugal's 2-1 Nations League win over Norway last month, Ronaldo abruptly left the Selecao's camp and accused his former Al-Nassr boss of breaching his trust.
Though his international career remains in doubt, key figures in the Portuguese Football Federation have opened the door for the 41-year-old to return, and he was only handed a 30-day suspension from the Portugal setup following an investigation into the incident.
