Erik ten Hag launches attack on Cristiano Ronaldo

Discipline and dressing-room culture have been uncomfortable talking points at Old Trafford again this month.

Lisandro Martinez was fined after his outburst at Atletico Madrid, and Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha told reporters they were “not allowed” to speak after the draw at Leeds.

United are winless in six games in all competitions and travel to Como in the Champions League on Wednesday.

A former manager has now looked back at the last time one player’s behaviour dominated a United season.

Erik ten Hag, sacked in October 2024 and now technical director at FC Twente, has given a long interview to The Athletic.

Erik ten Hag launches attack on Cristiano Ronaldo

In it, he has taken aim at Cristiano Ronaldo, claiming the star let the team down during his second spell at Old Trafford.

“He let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him.”

“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 in.”

Ten Hag took over in 2022 with Cristiano Ronaldo in the middle of his homecoming, and the relationship broke down so badly that the club terminated his contract in November 2022, less than halfway through the season.

He claims Ronaldo “pulled out of training sessions” and did not train hard enough when present, including skipping one of three laps after the 4-0 defeat at Brentford, when Ten Hag made his players run a mile for each of the eight miles they had been outrun.

“I confronted him with this. Many times I say, ‘Ronnie, everyone wants to work for you to bring you in the right position, but if you can’t bring yourself in the box, you can’t score’.”

“He was not capable to do this. It’s the wrong idea to put this to me that I expected him to do the pressing, that he’s exhausted. But he couldn’t.”

“He ran neither in possession nor out of possession. The reason was because he didn’t prepare himself.”

Ronaldo had left a pre-season friendly with Rayo Vallecano before the final whistle, then repeated the trick against Tottenham in October 2022 by refusing to come on and walking down the tunnel, after which he was left out against Chelsea.

“Every top team has to embrace the top player, but the top player has to work for the team.”

“He was telling the players, ‘Save your legs at the training’. I understand it when you are top fit – you have sessions, you can save the legs.”

“But first you have to train yourself to get into the right fitness levels.”

Ronaldo hit back in a Piers Morgan interview, saying, “I don’t have respect for him because he doesn’t show respect for me”, and claiming he had never heard of Ralf Rangnick before he became caretaker manager.

History has repeated with Jorge Jesus, after Ronaldo left Portugal’s camp having been an unused substitute in the 2-1 win at Norway, citing a “breach of trust” in a near 2,000-word statement.

Portugal’s disciplinary council handed him a 30-day suspension and a €255 fine, and he can return for the games against Denmark on 14 November and Wales on 17 November.