Ten Hag claims Ronaldo failed to prepare and let Man United down 2026

Key Points

• Ex-MU manager Erik ten Hag has accused Cristiano Ronaldo of failing to fulfill his obligations with Manchester United and letting down the squad and him personally.
• According to ten Hag, the management of United had built their game strategy according to Ronaldo who was flown to Portugal for negotiations by the new coach before he took control of the club.
• Ronaldo reportedly refused to train, did not reach the required heartbeat rates, and failed to finish all of the planned laps after United lost 4-0 against Brentford in August 2022.
• Ten Hag denied the claims that he expected too much pressing from the forward, stating that he “did not run neither with possession nor without possession” because he had not prepared enough.
• Moreover, ten Hag alleged that Ronaldo advised other players to save their energy while training.
• These allegations were aired in an interview with The Athletic that was published on Tuesday, 20 October 2026.
• The controversy resurfaces because of the disagreement between ten Hag and Ronaldo whose second stint at the club ended with him getting fired from the club.

FC United of Manchester (Manchester Mirror) October 20, 2026 – Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has publicly criticised Cristiano Ronaldo, saying the Portugal forward “let the team down” and “let me down” because the club had built plans around him before Ten Hag arrived at Old Trafford.

Why has Erik ten Hag criticised Cristiano Ronaldo?

As reported by Reuters, Ten Hag told The Athletic in an interview published on Tuesday that Ronaldo’s lack of fitness and preparation contributed to his difficulties during his second spell at Manchester United.

“He let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him,” Ten Hag said, according to Reuters.

The former United manager said he travelled to Portugal before joining United to speak with Ronaldo about his plans for the club. He said he respected Ronaldo as “one of the best in history”, but believed he had to make a rational decision as manager.

As reported by ESPN, Ten Hag said:

“I flew out to Portugal to speak with him about what I was aiming for before I came to United.”

What did Ten Hag say about Ronaldo’s training?

Ten Hag alleged that Ronaldo pulled out of training sessions and did not raise his heart rate to the required level when he did train.

According to The Athletic, Ten Hag also said Ronaldo completed only two of the three scheduled laps after United lost 4-0 at Brentford in August 2022.

“I confronted him with this,” Ten Hag said, as quoted by The Athletic.

He added: “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’.”

Did Ten Hag expect Ronaldo to press?

Ten Hag rejected the idea that he had asked Ronaldo to carry out an unrealistic pressing workload.

“It’s the wrong idea to put this to me that I expected him to do the pressing, that he’s exhausted,” he said.

“But he couldn’t,” Ten Hag continued. “He ran neither in possession nor out of possession. The reason was because he didn’t prepare himself.”

As reported by AS, Ten Hag said he had “a lot of respect” for Ronaldo but, as a manager, had to make the best decisions for the team.

What did Ten Hag claim Ronaldo told teammates?

Ten Hag alleged that Ronaldo advised fellow players to conserve energy during training.

“Cristiano Ronaldo was telling the players: save your legs at training,”

Ten Hag said, according to Yahoo Sport’s report of the Athletic interview.

He said he understood such an approach only when a player was already at peak fitness, but argued that players first needed to train to reach the correct fitness levels.

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

How has the dispute been reported?

Goal.com reported that Ten Hag had “opened fire” on Ronaldo, accusing him of letting Manchester United down and of not running during matches.

The Mirror reported that Ten Hag claimed Ronaldo was not fit enough during the final months of his second United spell, pulled out of sessions and did not prepare sufficiently to run in matches.

ESPN described the relationship between Ten Hag and Ronaldo as strained at times during the Dutchman’s reign at Old Trafford.

Reuters characterised Ten Hag’s comments as blaming Ronaldo’s fitness and preparation for the forward’s struggles during his return to United.

What was Ronaldo’s second Manchester United spell?

Ronaldo first played for Manchester United between 2003 and 2009, winning three Premier League titles under Sir Alex Ferguson before joining Real Madrid.

He returned to Old Trafford in 2021 and was still at the club when Ten Hag was appointed in 2022.

The relationship between the player and manager deteriorated publicly during the 2022-23 season. Ronaldo later gave an explosive interview criticising the club and Ten Hag, and United terminated his contract by mutual agreement in November 2022.

Background of the development

Ten Hag became Manchester United manager in 2022, inheriting a squad that included Ronaldo following his return to the club a year earlier.

The Brentford defeat in August 2022 was an early low point of Ten Hag’s tenure. United lost 4-0 away from home, and Ten Hag subsequently ordered the squad to complete running drills as punishment.

Ten Hag’s latest remarks were made in a wide-ranging interview with The Athletic, conducted over two evenings in Enschede, where he now works as technical director of FC Twente.

How could this affect Manchester United fans?

For Manchester United supporters, Ten Hag’s comments are likely to reignite debate over one of the most disruptive periods in the club’s recent history. His account places emphasis on training standards, fitness and collective responsibility, rather than tactical expectations alone.

Fans who supported Ronaldo may view the remarks as a one-sided account from a former manager, while supporters who backed Ten Hag’s rebuilding approach may see them as confirmation of the standards he wanted to impose. The claims do not resolve the dispute, but they provide Ten Hag’s most detailed public explanation of why the relationship broke down.

For United, the renewed attention may also affect how the club’s 2022-23 season is discussed, particularly the handling of senior players, training culture and the decision to part ways with Ronaldo.

Prediction: what happens next?

The development is likely to prompt further coverage and possibly a response from Ronaldo or his representatives, given the seriousness of Ten Hag’s allegations about preparation and influence on teammates.

For football audiences, the story may shape future discussion of how elite clubs manage veteran stars whose physical demands and training routines differ from squad-wide requirements. It could also influence how Manchester United fans assess Ten Hag’s tenure, especially his insistence that individual talent had to serve the team’s collective plan.