Cristiano Ronaldo Takes a Swipe at Man United Boss Erik ten Hag

Cristiano Ronaldo Takes a Swipe at Man United Boss Erik ten Hag

  • Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag publically fell out in 2022
  • The Dutchman is under fire at Old Trafford following a 3-0 defeat to bitter rivals Liverpool on Sunday
  • The former Real Madrid superstar has hit out at the Man United boss when asked if he can play as a substitute

Erik ten Hag and Manchester United suffered an embarrassing defeat to Liverpool over the weekend at Old Trafford.

The manager was heavily criticised, with some calling for his sacking for another poor start to the season.

Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to take a swipe at the Dutchman on international duty.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Erik ten Hag didn't get along at Manchester United
Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag had a public dispute. Photos by Ash Donelon and Adrian Dennis.
Source: UGC

The Al-Nassr superstar left the club in 2009 and went on to become one of the greats before joining Juventus. He returned to Old Trafford in 2021 under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

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The 39-year-old had a phenomenal first season back at the club, scoring 24 goals in 38 appearances in all competitions.

Ronaldo fell down the pecking order when Erik ten Hag became Man United manager in 2022.

The Portugal legend made four Premier League starts and infamously stormed out of the field during a game against Tottenham Hotspur. He was banished from the team and later released.

He went on to join Al-Nassr and broke records at the Saudi Pro League club.

What Ronaldo said about Erik ten Hag

Ronaldo was asked if he is ready to start on the bench for Portugal. He gave an interesting answer and aimed a dig at the Dutchman.

“In my mind, I’ll always be a starter. That’s what you think. Until the end of my career, I’ll always think that I’ll be a starter,” he said via Football365.

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“I’ll always respect the decisions, not just of the coach, but at the clubs I’ve played for, I’ve always respected them… once or twice, they’ve also behaved badly towards me (laughs). But seriously, whenever there’s professional ethics, I’ll always respect the coaches’ decisions."

Ronaldo and Portugal face Croatia and Scotland in the UEFA Nations League during the international break.

Ronaldo on next goal target

Earlier, Briefly News reported that Ronaldo expressed his ambition to reach 1,000 career goals while subtly aiming a jibe at football legends, including Pele.

The Portugal captain made these comments after netting his 899th career goal in a match for Saudi club Al Nassr against Al-Feiha. Pele is often regarded as the highest goalscorer in history.

FIFA recognises the late Brazilian legend's tally of 1,281 goals, while the statistics site RSSSF lists his total at 1,284.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

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Viginia Akinyi (sports editor) Viginia Akinyi is the current import editor at Briefly News. She holds a B.Sc. in Communication and Public Relations from Moi University and has previously worked with Lolwe TV, Daily Nation Eldoret Bureau and SportsBrief.com. Email: viginia.akinyi@briefly.co.za