Erik ten Hag has again criticised Cristiano Ronaldo, saying the former Manchester United forward has not been able to deliver for 'seven or eight years' and that 'since Juventus, it's simply over'.
Fallout explained in Dutch TV appearance
Speaking on the Dutch programme Goedemorgen Eredivisie on Sunday, the former Red Devils boss said: "Every top team must embrace the top player, but the top player must work for the team. That was the problem with Ronaldo. The players wanted to work for him, because naturally they looked up to him. But for the last seven or eight years, he just hasn't been able to deliver. Since Juventus, it's simply over."
Ronaldo rejoined United in 2021 from Juventus while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in charge. He scored 101 goals in 134 games for the Italian club and was joint-top scorer at the European Championship weeks before the transfer.
Ten Hag on Ronaldo's decline and fitness
Ten Hag, who succeeded Solskjaer permanently and is now technical director at Twente, said Real Madrid's decision to sell Ronaldo for £99million in 2018 was timely. "That is Real Madrid's great gift: they know when to part ways with players whose level is declining at the right moment," he added.
He also described meeting Ronaldo before a season to explain expectations. "He could no longer bring himself to torture himself, to give his all every day, to go all out during training and get fit. If you are not fit in the Premier League, you stand no chance."
Response to Ronaldo's Al-Nassr form
Asked about Ronaldo's fitness record and goals for Al-Nassr at age 41, Ten Hag said: "That is the perception, and that is of course how he became so great. But ultimately, he could no longer muster the energy to do it every day. If you can't do that anymore, the laws of the Premier League are ruthless. Then you simply can't keep up."
Ten Hag concluded: "At a moment like that, I have to make choices in the interest of the team. Ultimately, the choice lay with him: whether or not he wanted to make that investment."
