Cristiano Ronaldo’s second stint at Manchester United left its mark, marked by a rapidly deteriorating relationship with the coach of that time, Erik ten Hag. Returning in 2021 after shining with Juventus, the Portuguese left the club at the end of 2022 in an explosive climate, after months of internal tensions. A turbulent period which was part of a broader context of sporting instability, the Dutch technician himself being dismissed in October 2024 after far too insufficient results. But it is above all the testimony of Steve McClaren at Daily Mail which today sheds light on the extent of the malaise.
Erik’s former assistant ten Hag describes regular confrontations in training, explaining that ten Hag asked Ronaldo to follow basic instructions, including initiating pressure. “If you can’t do it, you won’t play.”he would have repeated to the Portuguese. “There were a lot of battles on this training ground”he remembers. “We often heard: ‘All I want you to do is this, this, this and more of this.’ That was Erik’s training method: ‘Ronnie, this is your job.’explained Steve McClaren before adding again: “I told him: ‘If you can’t do that, you won’t play. Or if you don’t want to do it, you can’t play. Okay, or he (ten Hag) won’t choose you. I tell you, he won’t choose you.’ It was a little tense. Not a fight, more a confrontation, and who would win? Erik remained unyielding. I think most coaches would have given in. Some coaches are like that. But he remained in his positions. » This is clearer now…
