Ten Hag: 'Ronaldo hasn't been able to deliver for seven or eight years'

Ten Hag says Ronaldo hasn't been capable of elite performance for seven or eight years and lacked the work ethic needed for the Premier League.

Erik ten Hag has reflected on his brief spell managing Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United, offering a candid assessment of the Portuguese forward's decline. Speaking on the ESPN programme Goedemorgen Eredivisie, the now-FC Twente director said Ronaldo was past his peak when he arrived at Old Trafford in summer 2022, just five months before their working relationship ended.

Ten Hag acknowledged Ronaldo's status as a great player but argued the reality was different. "The last seven or eight years he cannot deliver it anymore. From Juventus onwards it is simply finished," Ten Hag said. He praised Real Madrid's ability to recognise when a player's level drops and part ways at the right moment, suggesting United should have done the same.

The manager said he had spoken to Ronaldo before taking the job to explain his role and expectations, but ultimately the forward could not meet the demands. "If he is no longer able to push himself... he could not manage to give everything every day, to go to the max in training and to get fit," Ten Hag explained. He stressed that fitness is essential in the Premier League and that Ronaldo, while still capable of finishing chances, could not cope with the intensity required. Ronaldo left United on a free transfer and subsequently joined Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr.