Five-time Ballon d’Or winner, Cristiano Ronaldo, has once again criticised Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag for his remarks as regards the club’s title ambitions.
In an interview on Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, the former United forward, who won three Premier League titles and a UEFA Champions League trophy among others during his time at Old Trafford, also said the club must make plans to rebuild in order to compete for football’s biggest prizes again.
Ten Hag has come under pressure again following the Red Devils’ poor start to the season, which has seen them suffer two defeats in their opening three league games, coupled with their eighth-place finish last season.
Prior to the start of the 2024-25 season, the Dutchman ruled his side out of contention for the Premier League, a statement that did not go down too well with Ronaldo, with the Portuguese star questioning the manager’s mentality and ambition.
“The coach says they cannot compete to win the [Premier] League and Champions League,” the Al-Nassr forward stated in the podcast to be aired on Thursday.
“As [the] Manchester United coach, you cannot say that you’re not going to fight to win the league or Champions League.
“Mentally [you can] say maybe we don’t have that potential, but I cannot say that. We’re going to try, you have to try.
“What I wish for Manchester [United], it’s what I wish for me – [to be] the best team they can.
“I love that club… I’m not that kind of guy that forgot the past.”
Ronaldo had two spells at United before leaving for Saudi Pro League Al-Nassr in December 2022.
In his first spell at United, which lasted for six years, Ronaldo won three league titles, the Champions League, two League Cups, an FA Cup, a Community Shield, and the FIFA Club World Cup before joining Real Madrid in 2009.
The Portuguese scored a total of 145 goals in 346 appearances for the Manchester club, and his latest jibe at follows the interviewed he has with English presenter and lifelong Arsenal fan Piers Morgan in 2022, where he said he was being “betrayed” and pushed out in a television interview that did not go down well with the Club hierarchy.
While speaking with former United team-mate Ferdinand on his podcast, the Al-Nassr forward said there had been “no evolution” following former boss Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.
Although they have not won a Premier League title since then, co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has stated of his desire to restore the club to their former glories after purchasing a 25% stake in the club and his Ineos team taking over football operations.
In this, Ronaldo noted: “They need to rebuild everything, in my opinion.
“The club needs time to rebuild because it’s still one of the best clubs in the world, but they need to change. They understand that this is the only way.
“This is why they show, they start to change again, the structure of the club, the infrastructures and everything. The owners of the club are investing in the training ground so I’m happy [because things are changing].
“I believe that the future will be bright. I believe, but they don’t depend only on the talents. They have to rebuild from the bottom. If not, they cannot compete. It will be impossible.”
The outspoken forward however praised the club’s decision to recruit another former team-mate Ruud van Nistelrooy to Ten Hag’s backroom staff. He believes that van Nistelrooy’s addition to ten Hag’s backroom staff will be vital as the former forward knows the club well.
