Erik Ten Hag has long held back but now reveals his fiery words about Cristiano Ronaldo after working together at Manchester United, ending with a powerful final remark.
On 2 Nov 2026 GMT+7, Erik Ten Hag, the Dutch coach, revealed his intense words about Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo following their time together at Manchester United, the renowned Premier League club, finishing with a striking statement.
Erik Ten Hag spoke about his time working with Cristiano Ronaldo: "Certainly, he is an outstanding player, one of the greatest ever. But the truth is, over the past 7-8 years, he has not been able to maintain a high standard of play, starting from his time at Juventus. Everything has effectively ended there. This is a key strength of Real Madrid—they always know when to say goodbye to a player."
"Real Madrid recognizes when a player's performance begins to decline and chooses to part ways while outsiders still perceive that player to be at their peak, even though in reality they can no longer perform at the same level. Ending the relationship at this point helps prevent more painful situations later on."
"When I began at Manchester United, I explained to Ronaldo how we would play, what his role would be, what I expected from him, and what he could expect from me and the team. But ultimately, the player himself has to prove his performance."
"As I just mentioned, he cannot push himself beyond the pain, cannot give his all every day, or train fully to keep his body in top condition anymore. And if you are not physically ready for the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League, or playing for the Portuguese national team, you have almost no chance of success."