Ten Hag Renews Criticism of Ronaldo

Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag renewed his criticism of Cristiano Ronaldo, saying the forward had been unable to deliver at the highest level for seven or eight years and that, from his time at Juventus onward, “it’s simply over.” Ten Hag called Ronaldo one of the all-time greats but argued that a star must adapt to the team and alleged that Ronaldo no longer prepared or pushed himself enough to meet the Premier League’s demands. He praised Real Madrid for selling Ronaldo when the club believed his level was declining. Ronaldo’s second spell at United ended in 2022 after he publicly criticized Ten Hag and the club, and United terminated his contract; Ronaldo had accused Ten Hag of betraying him. The claims about Ronaldo’s later work habits are Ten Hag’s account, contrasting with Ronaldo’s reputation for rigorous training and self-discipline.