“Since Juventus, It’s Over”: Ten Hag Delivers Another Brutal Verdict on Ronaldo
Erik ten Hag has reignited his feud with Cristiano Ronaldo, claiming the forward has struggled to deliver at the highest level for the past seven or eight years. The former Manchester United manager criticised Ronaldo’s training commitment and said he could no longer meet the League’s demands.
As the disagreement between Erik ten Hag and Cristiano Ronaldo continues to attract attention, the former Manchester United manager has delivered another strong criticism of the Portuguese forward. Speaking on the Dutch programme Goedemorgen Eredivisie, Ten Hag claimed Ronaldo had struggled to deliver for the last seven or eight years, adding that his decline began after leaving Real Madrid for Juventus in 2018.
Ronaldo scored 101 goals in 134 appearances for Juventus before returning to Manchester United in 2021. Ten Hag explained that every top player must contribute to the team's overall performance rather than expect teammates to work around him. The former United manager also revisited the reasons behind their difficult relationship at Old Trafford. He alleged that Ronaldo lacked the commitment required in training and could no longer maintain the fitness levels demanded by the Premier League.
Ten Hag said he had discussed his expectations with Ronaldo before the season, but believed the forward was unable to make the necessary daily effort. He stressed that decisions had to be made in the team's interests. Despite Ten Hag's criticism, Ronaldo continues to play for Al-Nassr at 41 and remains close to reaching 1,000 career goals. Ten Hag also praised Real Madrid's ability to sell ageing players at the right moment, using Ronaldo's 2018 departure as an example.