Ronaldo interview: what Manchester United player said about Erik ten Hag in Piers Morgan interview

Ronaldo has aired an explosive interview with Piers Morgan on TalkTV
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During the interview Ronaldo said that he no longer has any “respect” for his manager Erik Ten Hag. The Portuguese forward also claimed that the Dutchman had “betrayed him” by trying to force him out of the club.

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The five time Ballon d’Or winner also hit out at the owners of Manchester United and claimed that the club has made “zero progress” since the retirement of legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013.

Ronaldo also suggested that the younger players at the club were unlikely to have “longevity” in their careers and claimed that they lack the hunger that he had as a young player.

The interview has divided the footballing world and could well be the final chapter in Ronaldo’s Manchester United career.

But what did Cristiano Ronaldo say about manager Erik Ten Hag - and has the Dutchman responded to the comments?

Here is everything you need to know.

What happened in the first part of the Cristiano Ronaldo interview?

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This is a full breakdown of what happened throughout the course of the first part of Ronldo’s interview.

Return to Manchester United

The first half of Cristiano Ronaldo’s 90 minute conversation with Piers Morgan aired on Wednesday 17 November.

During the interview, Ronaldo reflected on his transfer to Manchester United in 2021 and explained that he had chosen a return to Old Trafford over a move to Premier League champions Manchester City.

Ronaldo said that former manager Sir Alex Ferguson had played a key role in persuading him to return to the club. The 37-year-old star described his comeback as a “special moment” and within 24 hours of his return he broke a series of records including most shirts sold in a day and the most liked tweet in Twitter history.

Lack of progress at Manchester United

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Ronaldo expressed his disappointment in the facilities at the club following his return and claimed the club had made no progress since the departure of Alex Ferguson in 2013.

The Portuguese striker said: “I knew Manchester United wasn’t the same club but I don’t think I realised that there was such a big gap in the last 10 years.”

Cristiano Ronaldo’s bombshell interview was aired on Wednesday night. Credit: Getty.Cristiano Ronaldo’s bombshell interview was aired on Wednesday night. Credit: Getty.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s bombshell interview was aired on Wednesday night. Credit: Getty.

Ronaldo claimed that he saw many of the same facilities at the club that he had seen 15 years ago and claimed that Man United was behind his former clubs such as Real Madrid and Juventus.

Ronaldo said: “The progress was zero, at Real Madrid and Juventus they follow the rest of the world in terms of technology, training and conditions. In my opinion Manchester United should be at the top of the tree.”

The appointment of Ralf Ragnick

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Ronaldo criticised the appointment of former Man United manager Ralf Ragnick and claimed he had “never heard of him” when he arrived at the club.

Ronaldo also claimed that Ragnick “didn’t know the history of the club” and claimed the club needed to bring in a top manager rather than a sporting director.

Criticism of younger players

The five time Ballon d’Or winner first played for Manchester United from 2003 until 2009 and claimed that during that time he looked up to several of the more senior players, such as Roy Keane.

However, the Portuguese star criticised the younger generation of footballers during his interview with Morgan and claimed that they don’t “respect” the older players in the same way.

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The 37-year-old said: “I think they have things more easily, everything’s easy, they don’t suffer - and they don’t care. I don’t mean only a few in Manchester United, but in all teams in all leagues in the world, the younger players are not the same as my generation.”

Ronaldo’s family tragedy

During the interview Ronaldo opened up about the death of his baby child, describing it as the “most difficult moment” of his life.

Ronaldo’s partner Georgina Rodriquez lost one of her twin sons whilst giving birth in April 2021.

Ronaldo revealed that he sat in the bedroom and cried alongside his eldest son after telling him the news. He explained that it was an extremely difficult moment to tell the kids that his son had gone to heaven.

What to expect from the second part of the Cristiano Ronaldo interview?

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The second part of Ronaldo’s interview with Morgan will air on Thursday 17 November and it is set to delve deeper into the fall out between the Portuguese forward and his manager Erik Ten Hag.

In a clip shared on Piers Morgan’s Uncensored twitter account, Ronaldo said that he has “no respect” for his manager and claimed that he feels “betrayed” by Ten Hag and the hierarchy of the club, who he alleged have tried to “force him out” of Old Trafford.

Ronaldo has struggled to get regular first team football at Manchester United this season. (Getty Images)Ronaldo has struggled to get regular first team football at Manchester United this season. (Getty Images)
Ronaldo has struggled to get regular first team football at Manchester United this season. (Getty Images)

When Erik Ten Hag arrived at Manchester United he revealed he was looking forward to working with Ronaldo, however during his time at the club the Portuguese forward has been a peripheral figure and has featured in just 10 Premier League matches so far.

Ronaldo reportedly refused to appear as a substitute during a victory over Tottenham Hotspur earlier this season.

How has Erik Ten Hag reacted to Ronaldo’s interview?

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It’s believed that Ten Hag delayed a family holiday to deal with the issue surrounding Ronaldo’s interview, but is yet to make an official comment on the matter.

A series of clubs have been linked with a January move to sign the five time Champions League winner including Premier League rivals Chelsea and Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon.

Ronaldo is currently on international duty with Portugal as they prepare for their World Cup campaign in Qatar.

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