The relationship between Cristiano Ronaldo and Erik ten Hag at Man Utd is believed to have fractured due to tactical disagreements on the training ground, leading to the Portuguese superstar's tumultuous departure at the end of 2022.
Former assistant to Ten Hag, Steve McClaren, recently revealed the underlying reason for this "clash." According to McClaren, immediately after joining Man Utd in May 2022, Ten Hag wanted to implement the high-intensity pressing philosophy that had brought him resounding success at Ajax. However, Ronaldo, then 37 years old, was not very enthusiastic about this high-intensity approach.
The relationship between Ronaldo (center) and coach Ten Hag (right) collapsed after only 5 months (Photo: Getty).
On the podcast The Good, The Bad and The Football , McClaren recounted how Ten Hag "stood his ground" and refused to give in to Ronaldo's demands. "There were a lot of tactical battles on the training pitch. Erik was always clear, like, 'Ronaldo, this is your job,'" McClaren shared.
McClaren tried to explain to Ronaldo: "All Ten Hag wants you to do is: you press first, run once, twice, and maybe a third time if you want. Then drop back to midfield so that if we win the ball back, he can provide you with the ball. That's all. If you can't do that, you won't play. Or if you refuse to do it, you can't play. Got it? He won't pick you. I'm telling you straight, he won't pick you."
The former assistant emphasized Ten Hag's unwavering stance: "Unlike many others—I think many others would compromise, and that's the difference, many would do that. But Erik didn't. He said, 'I do it this way, and Ronaldo has to do it, otherwise he won't play.'"
McClaren described it as a "little tug-of-war," a confrontation to see who would win. "Erik stood his ground. I think most coaches would have given in, many coaches do. But he didn't," McClaren concluded.
Ronaldo's contract was terminated in November 2022 following a "sensational" interview with Piers Morgan, in which he harshly criticized the club's owners, his teammates, and Ten Hag himself.
Years after their bitter parting, Ronaldo's views on Ten Hag remain unchanged. Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast in 2024, the Portuguese captain maintained his stance: "The manager says the team can't compete for the Premier League and the Champions League. As the Man Utd manager, you can't say you won't fight for the domestic league or the Champions League. Mentally, you have to say: 'Listen, maybe we're not good enough yet, but I can't say that. We're going to try. You have to try.'"
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/lo-nguyen-nhan-khien-ronaldo-mat-cho-dung-o-man-utd-20260217224106169.htm
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