Former Manchester United manager and FC Twente technical director Erik ten Hag spoke about Cristiano Ronaldo once again on ESPN's program Goedemorgen Eredivisie.
Ten Hag stated: “Every top team has to embrace a top player, but the top player must make concessions for the team. That was simply the problem with Ronaldo at the time.”
“Let there be no misunderstanding on one point; of course he is a great player, among the greatest in football. But the reality is also that over the past seven or eight years, he has no longer been able to deliver that level of performance. Since his Juventus days, he just hasn't had it anymore.”
Ten Hag believes Real Madrid parted ways with Ronaldo at the exact right moment. In 2018, Ronaldo left the Bernabeu to join Juventus. “That is also a great gift of Real Madrid. They can recognize when a player's level begins to decline, and then choose to bid farewell at a moment when, to the outside world, the player appears to still be at his peak, but in reality can no longer deliver the corresponding performances.”
The then 37-year-old Ronaldo made 16 appearances under Ten Hag, scoring 3 goals. Program guest Hans Kraay Jr. asked Ten Hag whether he ever had relaxed and pleasant moments with the Portuguese superstar. Ten Hag replied: “No, we worked together for a very short time, and there was tension between us.”
In November 2022, Ronaldo terminated his contract with Manchester United. Ten Hag continued: “He could no longer push himself through that grind, no longer able to give everything every day to get back into top physical condition. In the Premier League, if your physical condition doesn't meet the demands, you have no chance at all. He can still convert chances now—everyone can still see that. But if you can't even get into the box...”
Ten Hag had previously communicated with Ronaldo: “You hold a mirror in front of him, let him see his situation clearly, and present solid arguments; then things become very clear.”
Kraay then envisioned Ronaldo's reaction in those conversations: “Then he would say, 'Are you out of your mind?'”
Ten Hag rejected that suggestion: “No, he didn't say that at all. The evidence was already very clear; everything in football nowadays is documented with data.”
However, Ten Hag also explicitly emphasized that he likewise considers Ronaldo a top player. “He won the Champions League five times, scored so many goals, and contributed so much to football. All of us have admired his performances, myself included. But at that time, I had to make choices based on the interests of the team and the club.”
“Ultimately, the choice rested in his own hands, depending on whether he was willing to put in that kind of effort. If he wasn't willing, I had to make other choices in the interest of the club. And what happened afterward, everyone saw.”
Wasn't it difficult to place the renowned Ronaldo on the bench, or even occasionally exclude him from the matchday squad?
Ten Hag replied: "No one is bigger than the club or the country, Ronaldo is no exception, and the same goes for Messi. At the end of the day, the team always comes first."