Cristiano Ronaldo: Former coach Erik ten Hag criticizes Manchester United's lack of fitness

Is Cristiano Ronaldo still good enough for high-class football? CR7 recently got into a fight with the coach of the Portuguese national team because he didn't let him play. At 41, Ronaldo is simply no longer in the condition in which he became a world footballer five times. And now his former coach at Manchester United, Erik ten Hag, is taking over from Ronaldo.

Ten Hag was Ronaldo's coach at United for six months in the 2022/23 season, then the Portuguese - already 37 at the time - moved to Saudi Arabia in a dispute in January 2023. “He let the team down and he let me down because we had planned with him,” said ten Hag in an interview with “The Athletic.”

»Of course he is one of the best in the history of football. I respected him a lot," said ten Hag: "But back then, as a coach, I had to make a rational decision and keep the players I admired." That was obviously not the case with Ronaldo. According to Ten Day, Ronaldo withdrew from training sessions, did not bring his heart rate up to the required level during sessions and only partially completed a punishing training session.

"I confronted him about it," ten Hag explained, he said to Ronaldo: "Ronnie, everyone wants to work to put you in the right position, but if you don't get yourself into the penalty area, you can't score a goal." But: "He wasn't able to do that." At that time, Ten Hag wanted his team to press against the ball. “But he just couldn't do it. He didn't run with or without the ball," ten Hag said of Ronaldo: "The reason for this was that he hadn't prepared." ten Hag further explained: "Every top team has to support its top player, but the top player also has to work for the team."

Ronaldo told other players in training to take it easy on their legs. »I understand that if you're in top shape. There are training sessions in which you can protect your legs. But first you have to train to reach the right fitness level,” said ten Hag. Ronaldo has long been considered a professional who places enormous value on his fitness.

“The Athletic” reports that Ronaldo has not yet responded to an inquiry about ten Hag’s comments.

Years of sporting decline and stubbornness culminate in a rift between Portugal and its greatest son. Was there a betrayal? Read more about this here.