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Erik ten Hag attacks Cristiano Ronaldo: Man United legend ‘let the club down’, failed heart rate tests, pulled out of training and was a bad influence, his old manager says

The Portuguese star made just 16 appearances under Ten Hag, who had been appointed as Man United's head coach in the summer of 2022, with their relationship quickly unravelling.

By MICHAEL PAVITT · Daily Mail

Published: Tuesday, 20 October 2026 at 12:00 PM

Key Things to Know

Erik ten Hag claimed Cristiano Ronaldo let Manchester United down due to poor preparation and inadequate fitness levels.
Ten Hag alleged Ronaldo pulled out of training sessions and told teammates to save their legs.
The former manager stated Ronaldo failed to elevate his heart rate to the necessary levels during training.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has accused Cristiano Ronaldo of letting the club down through poor preparation and inadequate fitness levels. Speaking to The Athletic, Ten Hag claimed the Portuguese forward pulled out of training sessions, failed to reach required heart rate metrics, and advised teammates to save their legs during practice sessions.

Ten Hag revealed that Ronaldo's training habits negatively affected the squad before the forward's departure by mutual consent in November 2022. The comments follow a separate recent controversy where Ronaldo walked out of Portugal's national squad under manager Jorge Jesus.

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