Erik ten Hag returns to talk about Cristiano Ronaldo and, once again, does not spare criticism for the last years of his career. The coach has a very harsh judgment for the Portuguese star, who at the age of 41 still has the desire to break records and win trophies with his team. According to the Dutch technician, Ronaldo's career had actually ended a few years ago, before he moved to Juventus, where he failed to give his best.
In an interview with ESPN, ten Hag harshly criticized the footballer, claiming that he had stopped making a difference after the end of his long adventure at Real Madrid.
Ten Hag's attack on Cristiano Ronaldo
According to the coach, for several years now, Cristiano Ronaldo's real problem has been the fact that he is unable to put himself at the service of the team. Ten Hag was managing Manchester United when the Portuguese left the club and the two have not had a good relationship. "Every big team has to give value to its star, but the star also has to know how to put himself at the service of the team. That was simply the problem with Ronaldo."
According to the Dutchman, the Portuguese's decline began at the moment of his transfer to Juventus: "Let there be no misunderstanding on my part: he is undoubtedly a great footballer. He is among the best in the world. But the reality is also that in the last seven or eight years he has not been able to give his best. Since Juventus, everything was over."
The coach explained that Real Madrid had let him leave precisely because of this problem, as the club's leaders had realized earlier than anyone that he had entered the decline phase of his career: "This is also one of Real Madrid's greatest merits. They understand when a footballer is losing his shine. At that moment they part with him, at a time when, in the eyes of the outside world, he is still at the peak of his career, but in reality he is no longer able to give his best."
