Erik ten Hag reveals when he knew Cristiano Ronaldo’s career ended

Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has revealed when he believes Cristiano Ronaldo began declining as a footballer, pointing to the Portuguese forward’s departure from Real Madrid in 2018.

Speaking in an interview with ESPN, Ten Hag reflected on Ronaldo’s career and their time together at Manchester United. He described the five-time Ballon d’Or winner as one of football’s greatest players but suggested his best years were already behind him.

Ten Hag acknowledged Ronaldo’s achievements but argued that the forward had struggled to maintain his previous level of performance since leaving Real Madrid.

“He is of course a tremendous player, one of the greats of all time. But that is also the reality, over the last seven, eight years, he can simply no longer deliver. From Juventus onwards, it’s simply over,” Ten Hag said.

The former United boss, who now works as technical director at FC Twente, also praised Real Madrid for knowing when to part ways with established players. “And that is actually the great gift of Real Madrid: they always know when to say goodbye to players at the right moment,” he added.

Ronaldo joined Juventus in the summer of 2018 after winning several major trophies with Real Madrid, including four Champions League titles. He scored 101 goals in 134 appearances for the Italian club before returning to Manchester United in 2021, where he recorded 27 goals in 54 appearances during his second spell.

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His return to Old Trafford eventually ended in controversy after his relationship with Ten Hag deteriorated during the 2022-23 season. In November 2022, Ronaldo accused the Dutch manager of betraying him during an interview with Piers Morgan, leading to the termination of his United contract and his subsequent move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr. Ronaldo has continued his professional career in Saudi Arabia, while Ten Hag’s comments have renewed discussions about when the forward’s performances began to decline.