After four years, Ten Hag reveals details of his well-known struggle with Ronaldo.

During Ten Hag's two-year tenure at the helm of the "Red Devils," he faced a series of prominent disputes with several star players, including Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo, and English players Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford.

During this period, the coach became known for his strong personality and firm approach to dealing with players, insisting on applying disciplinary rules without exceptions.

One notable example was his decision to exclude Rashford from the starting lineup in a Premier League match against Wolverhampton after the player arrived late and missed the beginning of a meeting.

However, Ten Hag feels that the club's management was not always on his side when he made such disciplinary decisions, stating in his conversation with The Athletic: "The club officials continue to promote a toxic culture. They feed it and empower the players."

He added, speaking about Rashford: "He is a great player when his mindset is right. I have always shown my trust in him and given him the opportunity to play. But when you set certain standards, sometimes you have to intervene to correct things."

Ronaldo's Crisis

The conflict between Ten Hag and Ronaldo was the most famous and controversial during the Dutch coach's time at Manchester United.

The dispute peaked in November 2022, when Ronaldo gave a famous interview with British journalist Piers Morgan, during which he stated that he "does not respect" Ten Hag.

This interview, along with its criticisms of the coach and the club, led to the Portuguese star leaving "Old Trafford" for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

In his recent comments, Ten Hag addressed Ronaldo's impact in the dressing room, noting that some players were not prioritizing football or Manchester United as they should, emphasizing that "players need to act responsibly; they bear a significant responsibility. For some, football was not the top priority, and for others, Manchester United was not the first priority."

Ten Hag did not specify the names of all the players he was referring to with these criticisms, but he made these remarks in the context of discussing Ronaldo's influence and impact within the team.

Former Real Madrid Stars

Ten Hag's criticisms were not limited to Ronaldo alone; they extended to a group of players who had previously played for Real Madrid before moving to Manchester United, referring to French defender Raphael Varane and Brazilian midfielder Casemiro.

The Dutch coach accused these players of "contributing to an imbalance of power in the dressing room due to their belief that they had the right to influence tactical decisions and dictate the style of play."

Ten Hag explained: "I can say that I believe this is what the Real Madrid group brought to the team. The idea that players have power and want to make decisions. In my opinion, this was not suitable for the stage Manchester United was going through. The management wanted attacking and dynamic football, while these players wanted to play in a way that suited them personally."

Ten Hag spoke specifically about Casemiro, clarifying that the Brazilian player "arrived at the club as the mastermind of the midfield, capable of organizing and directing play thanks to his passing skills and understanding of the game, but he later seemed to have lost his enthusiasm. I don't know what they told him."

This last statement hints at a possible discrepancy between what Casemiro expected upon joining the club and the reality he faced later, without Ten Hag providing further details on that.

The coach's remarks gain additional significance considering their timing, as they came less than a week after Argentine defender Lisandro Martinez publicly criticized Manchester United's management.

Martinez had accused the club officials of not investing enough to strengthen the team's squad during the summer transfer window.