Erik ten Hag takes another swipe at Cristiano Ronaldo over Man Utd fall-out

Ten Hag reiterates that Ronaldo hasn't been able to deliver for seven or eight years and lacked the fitness to compete at United's level.

Erik ten Hag has doubled down on his criticism of Cristiano Ronaldo, claiming the 41-year-old Portuguese forward hasn't been able to "deliver" for seven or eight years. Speaking on ESPN, ten Hag said that while Ronaldo is "one of the all-time greats," his level has declined since his time at Juventus.

Ten Hag, who took charge of Manchester United in April 2022, fell out with Ronaldo during his second stint at Old Trafford. The conflict escalated when Ronaldo refused to come on as a substitute during a match against Tottenham and stormed down the tunnel, leading to his banishment from the first-team squad. Ronaldo later gave an explosive interview to Piers Morgan in November 2022, which accelerated his exit and the club's decision to terminate his contract.

Ten Hag said Ronaldo could no longer push himself to the level required to earn a starting place, claiming he lacked the fitness to compete in the Premier League and Champions League. He contrasted this with Real Madrid's approach of knowing when to part with players at the right moment. Ten Hag added that when he showed Ronaldo evidence of his shortcomings, there was no pushback from the player.