Ten Hag accuses Ronaldo of 'letting down' Man United

Erik ten Hag has broken his silence on his rocky relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo, claiming the forward "let the team down" during his second spell at Old Trafford.

ESPN reports that the former United boss has "revealed that he had a strained relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo at times during his reign", with the Portuguese accused of letting his team-mates down before his exit (ESPN). talkSPORT goes further, saying Ten Hag "eviscerates" Ronaldo with "bombshell claims", accusing him of "putting in minimal effort" during that second stint at the club (talkSPORT).

The Manchester Evening News adds context on the backdrop to the row, noting Ronaldo "left Manchester United under a cloud in November 2022 amid rising tensions with Erik ten Hag" following his brief return from Juventus (Manchester Evening News). The Guardian provides further detail on the specifics of Ten Hag's complaint, reporting that the Dutchman says Ronaldo "did not complete" a post-match run, one of several grievances behind the fallout (The Guardian).

There's also disagreement, or at least a difference in focus, over who else comes into the story. The Guardian notes that Ten Hag has additionally claimed "the club broke promises made to him" (The Guardian), while the Manchester Evening News highlights that former midfielder Fred also gets a response from Ten Hag as part of these comments, suggesting the Dutchman's remarks extend beyond just Ronaldo (Manchester Evening News).

All four outlets are united on the central claim: Ten Hag says Ronaldo "let the team down" during his time at United, with ESPN (ESPN), talkSPORT (talkSPORT) and The Guardian (The Guardian) all using that exact phrase from the former manager. The reporting paints a picture of a manager now willing to speak openly about the tensions that defined Ronaldo's troubled second spell at the club, which ended in his departure in November 2022.

Taken together, the coverage suggests Ten Hag has used this intervention not only to address his issues with Ronaldo's effort and conduct, but also to defend his own handling of the situation, pointing to unmet promises from the club and seemingly addressing other dressing-room relationships, such as that with Fred, along the way.

Written with the help of AI, using the headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.