Ten Hag reveals why he pushed Cristiano Ronaldo out of Manchester United

Some breakups take years to fully explain, and this is one of them. Erik ten Hag has broken his silence on one of the most talked about episodes of his time at Manchester United: the exit of Cristiano Ronaldo, which ended with the Portuguese star's contract being terminated in December 2022, barely a year and a half after his return to the club.

In an interview with The Athletic, the Dutch coach held nothing back. According to him, the decision wasn't easy, but it was necessary from his standpoint as a manager. "He let the team down, and he let me down, because we had planned to count on him," he explained.

The interesting part is that it all started with good intentions. Ten Hag traveled to Portugal before taking over the job to speak directly with Ronaldo about his plans for United. "Obviously he's one of the best in the history of football, I respect him enormously. But at that moment, as a coach I had to make a rational decision and back the players I admire," added the man who is now sporting director at Twente.

What was the final breaking point? According to Ten Hag himself, things came to a head after a 4-0 defeat to Brentford, when the coaching staff demanded a specific fitness drill that Ronaldo failed to complete as expected.

I confronted him about this. Many times I told him, 'Ronnie, we all want you to get into the right position, but if you don't get into the box you can't score.' He wasn't able to do this.Erik ten Hag

The Dutch coach went further and dug into the fitness issue, a matter that seems to have weighed heavily on his assessment of the Portuguese forward. "It's a misconception to say I expected him to press, that he was exhausted. But he couldn't run with or without the ball. And the reason was that he wasn't training properly," he added.

An influence that, according to Ten Hag, did not help the locker room

Beyond his performance on the field, the coach pointed to something that often matters just as much as the numbers, if not more: the example set for the rest of the squad. For Ten Hag, Ronaldo was sending messages that clashed head on with the standards he wanted to instill in the team.

"Every top team has to embrace its best player, but he has to work for the team. He was telling his teammates to 'save their legs' in training. I understand that if you're in top shape, you have sessions, you can hold back. But first you have to train to reach that physical condition," the Dutch coach explained.

He wrapped up his analysis with a line that sums up his coaching philosophy pretty well: "Players have to perform, they carry a huge responsibility. For many, football isn't the top priority. And it wasn't for some at United."

It's worth remembering that, despite the departure of one of the biggest stars in the club's recent history, Ten Hag didn't leave Old Trafford empty handed: he lifted the FA Cup and the League Cup before his exit from the touchline in 2024.