Erik ten Hag insists Cristiano Ronaldo was ‘never the problem’ during their turbulent year together at Manchester United – despite the Portuguese icon’s contract being torn up following a high-profile falling out in 2022.
The Dutch coach, now in charge of Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, was speaking after a 2-0 friendly defeat by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Friday.
That game came less than 24 hours after Ronaldo scored a hat-trick for Al-Nassr in a 4-0 pre-season win over Rio Ave.
The 40-year-old’s trio of goals prompted one journalist to ask Ten Hag a pointed question: ‘Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the players with the best shape right now. He scored a hat-trick yesterday. Is he still the problem?’
Ten Hag replied: ‘For me he’s no problem. He was never the problem and I think that’s the past.
‘I think it was what happened. It’s the past and after that, we won two trophies at Manchester United. I wish him all the best for the for the future and I wish him the best of luck.’
Erik ten Hag (left) has said Cristiano Ronaldo (right) was ‘never the problem’ at Man United
Ten Hag is now in charge of Bayer Leverkusen, who lost 2-0 away at Chelsea on Friday night
Ronaldo now plays for Al-Nassr and scored a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Rio Ave on Thursday
United mutually agreed to terminate Ronaldo’s deal in November 2022, days after the airing of his explosive interview with Piers Morgan in which he criticised the club and Ten Hag. By then, he had not played for the team since a 3-1 defeat at Aston Villa on November 6.
Ronaldo later said he had ‘no regrets’ over the timing of the interview, which came shortly before the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
‘Timing is always timing,’ he said. ‘From your side it is easy to look at how we can choose timings. Sometimes you write truths, sometimes you write lies. I don’t have to worry what others think. I talk when I want to. Everybody knows who I am, what I believe in.’
Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr in January 2023 and has since scored 99 goals in 111 competitive appearances. He has yet to win the Saudi Pro League but continues to deliver eye-catching displays.
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Ten Hag, meanwhile, pointed to his Carabao Cup triumph in 2023 and FA Cup win over Manchester City in 2024 as proof of his record at Old Trafford.
‘You have to ask the club [on his trophy record appealing to Leverkusen], but for sure I love to win trophies and that is what I’m doing all my career and I want to keep this process going and that is my challenge with Leverkusen to do the same,’ he said.
‘It’s not about Manchester United, that is closed. I’m looking forward and I’m really happy to be back. I’m really enjoying the last couple of weeks. We have a good club [Leverkusen], we have a good team and we will improve.’
Leverkusen open their competitive season on August 15 in the DFB-Pokal against SG Sonnenhof before starting their Bundesliga campaign at home to Hoffenheim a week later.