Cristiano Ronaldo blamed for DESTROYING Erik ten Hag

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 30 Apr 2024 10:29 BST
• 4 min read

Former Netherlands star Wesley Sneijder says that Erik ten Hag ruined his chances of succeeding at Manchester United when he went head to head with Cristiano Ronaldo in a power struggle at Old Trafford.

Ten Hag famously locked horns with Ronaldo last season, exiling the Portuguese superstar before pushing him out of the club.

And ex-Real Madrid, Inter and Ajax midfielder Sneijder says that Ten Hag lost the respect of the dressing room when he did that.

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What did Sneijder say?

“Should I tell you where it went wrong for Erik ten Hag? On the day that he decided to battle Cristiano Ronaldo,” Sneijder said.

“That’s where he started losing all the respect. He thought it would work out well for him, but it’s the opposite.. Everyone in the dressing room wondered if he is alright in the head by doing that.”

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Ronaldo’s contract at Man Utd was rescinded in November 2022 after an explosive interview with Piers Morgan.

Ronaldo caused huge controversy ahead of the World Cup in November by sitting down for a no-holds barred interview with TalkTV journalist Morgan.

During the interview, Ronaldo slammed a number of key figures at Man Utd, including current manager Erik ten Hag, past manager Ralf Rangnick, owners The Glazers and club legends Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville.

He accused Ten Hag and others of betraying him and trying to force him out of the club and was heavily critical of the way Man Utd was being run.

The fallout from this interview was cataclysmic in the football world.

Ronaldo’s contract was subsequently rescinded by Man Utd before the World Cup began and he eventually joined Saudi side Al-Nassr in January 2023, all but bringing to an end his top-level club career.

Ten Hag, meanwhile, has fallen well short of the standards required of a Man Utd manager.

Despite winning the League Cup last year, Ten Hag has endured a disastrous 2023-24 season, failing to qualify for the Champions League and being eliminated in this season’s competition in the groups. He is likely to be sacked at the end of the campaign.