Ten Hag accuses Ronaldo of letting Manchester United down

Erik ten Hag says Cristiano Ronaldo let him down personally and let Manchester United down during their time together at Old Trafford.

The former United manager made the claims in an interview with The Athletic, his first major interview since he was sacked in October 2024. The interview was reported by The Guardian on 20 October 2026.

Ten Hag arrived in 2022 as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s successor. Ronaldo was already back at the club, having returned for a second spell in August 2021 to huge excitement among supporters.

Ten Hag said he flew to Portugal to speak with Ronaldo before taking the job. United had planned with Ronaldo as part of the squad, and Ten Hag said that publicly at the time. In May 2022 he said Ronaldo was part of his plans, and he repeated that support through the early months of the season.

That relationship broke quickly. Ten Hag claimed Ronaldo did not complete the full run set given to players after United’s 4-0 defeat by Brentford early in his reign. Runs like that are a common punishment in football, extra fitness work ordered after a poor performance.

Then came the flashpoint. Ronaldo refused to come on as a substitute — a replacement sent on during the game — in United’s win over Tottenham in October 2022. Ten Hag left him out of the squad for the draw at Chelsea that followed and briefly banished him from first-team training.

Ronaldo answered with a TV interview in November 2022. He said he felt betrayed by United and believed the club was trying to force him out. His contract was ended by mutual agreement the next month.

Ten Hag also turned his criticism on United’s owners. He claimed they promised him loyalty, backing, communication and alignment during talks over a new deal. He alleged those promises went unfulfilled.

He pointed to two moments. He won the FA Cup in May 2024 and then signed a contract extension. He was sacked five months later. He also claimed he told the club not to sell Scott McTominay to Napoli, and was left embarrassed and disappointed when the sale went through without his consent.

What makes this stand out is the timing. Ten Hag had said little for two years. Now he is telling his version in full, from Ronaldo to the boardroom.