Erik ten Hag has reignited his long-running feud with Cristiano Ronaldo after making a brutal assessment of the Portuguese superstar’s performances over the last seven or eight years. His latest comments also brought back memories of their controversial 2022 fallout at Old Trafford, which eventually led to Ronaldo leaving the club.
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Speaking on ESPN’s Goedemorgen Eredivisie, Ten Hag explained why he found it difficult to work with Ronaldo during their short time together at United. The Dutchman, now the technical director at FC Twente, said no player can put himself above the team.
“Every top team must embrace the top player, but the top player must work for the team. And that was simply the problem with Ronaldo,” Ten Hag said on ESPN.
“Let there be no misunderstanding on my part, he is of course a great player. He belongs among the greats of the world. But the reality is also that he hasn’t been able to deliver for the last seven or eight years. From Juventus onwards, it was simply over,” he added.
“He could no longer bring himself to torture himself anymore. To give it his all every day. To get fit. If you aren’t fit in the Premier League, you stand no chance.”
However, despite the former Ajax manager’s comments, there’s no denying Ronaldo’s numbers across his career. He thrived at Juventus in his late thirties, scoring 101 goals in 134 appearances while winning two scudetti. That was after his historic spell at Real Madrid, where he won four Champions League crowns and scored over 400 goals.
But Ten Hag believes Real Madrid knew when to move on from their legendary forward. In the same ESPN conversation, he said, “That is also Real Madrid’s great gift. They see when a player is declining in level. Then they part ways at a moment when, to the outside world, they are still at their peak, but actually can no longer deliver.”
The Dutch manager’s latest comments have brought back memories of the 41-year-old’s tough second spell at Manchester United. Despite netting 26 goals in 43 appearances in the 2021/22 season, Cristiano Ronaldo’s numbers dropped severely as he scored only three goals in 16 appearances under the Dutch manager in the 2022/23 season.
Things got even worse when Ronaldo lost his place in the team after he refused to come on as a substitute during a Premier League match. That forced Ten Hag’s hand, and he punished him by leaving the striker out of the squad for the next match. That led to Ronaldo giving a controversial interview to journalist and television broadcaster Piers Morgan.
Morgan, who has always supported Ronaldo, gave him an opportunity to speak about his problems at Old Trafford.
“People should listen to the truth. Yes, I felt betrayed, and I felt like some people don’t want me here, not only this year but last year too,” Ronaldo said on Piers Morgan Uncensored. “I don’t have respect for him (Erik ten Hag) because he doesn’t show respect for me.”
It eventually saw the relationship between Ronaldo, Ten Hag and Manchester United hit rock bottom, with the club opting to mutually terminate the forward’s contract. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has since joined Al-Nassr and enjoyed a very fruitful spell with the club.
However, in light of Erik ten Hag’s latest comments, both Peter Schmeichel and Piers Morgan have retaliated and questioned the former Ajax’s boss words on Ronaldo.
Piers Morgan and Peter Schmeichel hit back as Ten Hag defends his Ronaldo stance
Erik Ten Hag’s latest comments soon received a response from Piers Morgan. The journalist shared his response on X.
He wrote: “@Cristiano has scored 327 goals since leaving Madrid… Ten Hag scored 15 in his entire career and was never good enough to get picked for his country. This is like Ronaldo being fat-shamed by a hippopotamus.”
There was a comparison in the playing careers of Ronaldo and Hag, highlighting the difference in their achievements. Ronaldo has continued to score goals regularly since leaving Real Madrid in 2018. He has played for Juventus, Manchester United and Al-Nassr during this period.
The journalist has regularly defended Cristiano Ronaldo whenever someone questions his performances or career decisions. His latest response shows that he strongly disagrees with Ten Hag’s assessment of the Portuguese star.
Former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel has also criticised Ten Hag. The Dutchman’s earlier interview with The Athletic had already upset the former United captain.
Speaking on The Overlap Daily, Schmeichel accused Ten Hag of trying to create controversy.
“He wasn’t a success at Manchester United. Why does he feel the need to come out and say that?” Schmeichel said.
During his latest ESPN appearance, Ten Hag was also asked about the reaction to his The Athletic interview.
“No, but look, when people don’t know what happened behind the scenes but still start passing judgement, then. I am no longer surprised by it. And just look at where Manchester United are now. Six weeks… six years… without winning a trophy. That speaks for itself,” Ten Hag said.
“Nobody is bigger than a club or a country. Not even Cristiano Ronaldo. And neither is Messi. Ultimately, the team always comes first.”
For the former United manager, this balance between individual quality and teamwork was missing during his time with Ronaldo at Old Trafford. His latest comments have once again brought their 2022 disagreement into the spotlight. Morgan’s response and Schmeichel’s criticism have added further fuel to the debate.