Ten Hag says Ronaldo's career was over 'from Juventus onwards' in fresh ESPN interview

Erik ten Hag has made his most pointed remarks yet about Cristiano Ronaldo, telling ESPN that the Portuguese forward's best days were already behind him when he joined Juventus — and that nothing changed when he returned to Manchester United.

"From Juventus onwards it's simply over," ten Hag said, according to ESPN, adding that Ronaldo was no longer capable of performing at the level required and was unwilling to work for the team.

The Dutch coach, who is now technical director at FC Twente after his dismissal from Old Trafford, blamed Ronaldo's lack of sacrifice as a central reason for the breakdown in their relationship. He suggested the decline had begun seven or eight years ago, according to Maisfutebol.

The comments reignite a feud that has simmered since Ronaldo's acrimonious exit from United in late 2022. Ronaldo, now 41 and contracted to Al-Nassr until June 2027, has scored eight goals in ten appearances for the Saudi club this season. FootVal values him at €6.3m, against a Transfermarkt market value of €10m.