One of the things that Erik Ten Hag will be remembered for at Manchester United is his falling out with Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ten Hag arrived at Man United during Ronaldo’s second stint at the club, and it was clear from the start that the Dutchman did not have the former Real Madrid and Juventus forward in his plans.
The 38-year-old was phased out of the United squad at the start of the season which led to frustrations from the Portugal captain’s side. Ronaldo’s bitterness was visible and it led him into having a raging interview with Piers Morgan that criticized both Ten Hag and the club which was the ultimate blow as it saw his contract with Manchester United mutually terminated in January.
The five-time Ballon D’or winner subsequently joined Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr, signing a two-and-half year deal.
He is currently with the national team awaiting their 2024 Euro qualifying games against Liechtenstein and Luxembourg. it is from there that he faced the media and referred to his second stint in Manchester as a ‘bad phase’.
“Sometimes you have to go through some things to see who’s on my side. In a difficult phase, you can see who is on your side. I have no problem saying I had a bad phase of my career, but there’s no time for regrets,” he told a press conference ahead of Portugal’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Liechtenstein.
“Life goes on and, doing well or not, it was part of my growth. When we are at the top of the mountain, we often cannot see what is below.
“Now, I’m more prepared and learning that was important, because I had never been through this, like in the last few months. Now I’m a better man.”
Ronaldo will be hoping to lead his country to next year’s Euros as they kickstart their campaign.
