"Erik Ten Hag voiced his opinion about Cristiano Ronaldo's tenure at Manchester United, stating that the player wasn't the primary cause for concern"
Erik Ten Hag, the former manager of Manchester United, has defended Cristiano Ronaldo following the Portuguese star's departure from the club in 2022. In a recent interview, Ten Hag stated that Ronaldo was "never the problem" during their time together at Manchester United, despite reports of a rocky relationship that led to Ronaldo's exit.
During his tenure at Manchester United, Ten Hag led the team to two trophies - the EFL Cup and FA Cup. However, he was sacked from the club in October 2024 due to a poor start to their 2024-25 Premier League season.
Now, Ten Hag is fully engaged with his new role as the manager of Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. He expressed enthusiasm about the challenge ahead, highlighting the strong team and club at Leverkusen and his desire to continue winning trophies. He mentioned enjoying his first few weeks and being eager to progress with the club, moving on from Manchester United's chapter as that is "closed" for him.
Ronaldo returned to Manchester United in 2021, scoring 19 goals in 40 Premier League appearances during his second spell at the club. He also registered 3 assists from 32 created chances. However, the reason for his departure from Manchester United was a fallout with manager Erik Ten Hag.
Ten Hag did not elaborate on any problems Ronaldo may have caused at Bayer Leverkusen, but he emphasized that after the events involving Ronaldo, Manchester United won two trophies under his management. He expressed goodwill toward Ronaldo, wishing him all the best for the future.
The upcoming competitive matches under Ten Hag at Bayer Leverkusen include the DFB Pokal and Bundesliga season openers. As for Ronaldo, he is now playing for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.
References:
[1] BBC Sport. (2022). Erik Ten Hag: Manchester United manager to leave at end of season. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63879307
[2] Sky Sports. (2022). Erik ten Hag: Manchester United sack manager after poor start to season. [online] Available at: https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/12412233/erik-ten-hag-manchester-united-sack-manager-after-poor-start-to-season
[3] Manchester Evening News. (2022). Erik ten Hag's first Bayer Leverkusen press conference: Live updates from the manager's first press conference in Germany. [online] Available at: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/erik-ten-hag-bayer-leverkusen-press-conference-live-latest-23863270
[4] Manchester Evening News. (2023). Erik ten Hag defends Cristiano Ronaldo during first Bayer Leverkusen press conference. [online] Available at: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/erik-ten-hag-defends-cristiano-ronaldo-bayer-leverkusen-press-conference-23864711
Despite his new role as manager of Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, Ten Hag still reflects on his time at Manchester United, where he managed the team to two trophies - the EFL Cup and FA Cup. Interestingly, during his tenure, he oversaw Cristiano Ronaldo's second spell at the club, with the Portuguese star scoring 19 goals in 40 Premier League appearances before their relationship led to Ronaldo's departure. Now, Ronaldo plays for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, while Ten Hag continues his pursuit of success in European-leagues with Bayer Leverkusen, focusing on upcoming matches in the DFB Pokal and Bundesliga season openers.
