“Going against the best player in the team? You don’t do that” – Ex-Barcelona star slams Ten Hag for Cristiano Ronaldo treatment
Former Barcelona midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng has slammed Erik ten Hag for his treatment of Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United.
The journeyman spent the second half of the 2018-19 season on loan at Barcelona from Sassuolo, making four appearances. In a recent interview on Vibe with Five on YouTube, the retired 36-year-old asked for Ten Hag's sacking, stating that he wasn't at the level to be coaching Manchester United.
Boateng, who retired from playing football in August this year, said:
"I think he has to go. What he did to Ronaldo and all the guys. He's not on the level to be the coach of Man United. Imagine, you have a top scorer then you just kick him out. Going against the best player in the team? You don't do that. You need to give him respect."
In his first season after returning to Manchester United from Juventus, Ronaldo finished as the club's top scorer in all competitions, scoring 24 times in 38 games. But after Ten Hag's appointment in the summer of 2022, he started just four Premier League games before leaving the club by mutual consent in November.
Ronaldo's exit came almost immediately after an unfiltered interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan where he took shots at the Dutch manager. He moved to Al-Nassr in January this year and has since scored 25 times in 29 competitive games across competitions.
Manchester United, meanwhile, sit 10th in the Premier League table with just nine points from seven games so far.
Cristiano Ronaldo helps Al-Nassr overcome Istiklol in AFC Champions League
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a sublime goal in Al-Nassr's 3-1 AFC Champions League group-stage win on Monday (2 October).
The Tajikistan-based club took the lead just before half-time but Ronaldo equalized for the hosts in the 66th minute with a brilliant left-footed chipped shot. A brace from Anderson Talisca sealed the win, ensuring Al-Nassr remained on top of Group E with six points from two games.
After the game, Ronaldo took to his X account and sent a message to his fans. The tweet read:
"Good game from everyone on the team! Happy to have scored my 1st #ACL champions league goal!💪🏼⚽️ We keep wining!💙💛"
This was the former Manchester United superstar's first goal in the competition. He played in the group-stage opener against Persepolis in Iran but failed to make a tangible contribution to his team's 2-0 win.
The Portuguese superstar has now scored 11 goals and provided six assists in 10 games across competitions during this campaign. He is expected to lead his team out on the pitch on 6 October against Abha in the Saudi Pro League.