When Cristiano Ronaldo and current Red Devils manager Erik ten Hag fell out at the end of the previous season, it damaged Ronaldo’s legacy at Manchester United, but some saw it coming.
Former Red Devil Edinson Cavani believes Erik ten Hag’s time with Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United was doomed to fail.
The former United striker once stated that he felt every manager felt obliged to play the five-time Ballon d’Or winner regardless of form, and he feared this would put his own time at Old Trafford in jeopardy once Ronaldo arrived. On the other hand, halfway through his rookie season in the dugout, Ten Hag benched the forward.
Ten Hag faced Ronaldo in what turned out to be one of the most pivotal moments of his United career, following growing dissatisfaction in the dressing room and an explosive tell-all interview. He prevailed, and the team ended his contract in the middle of the campaign.
Now that I know a little bit about the world of football these days, the first thing I did was call my brother [Walter Fernando Guglielmone, who also acts as his agent] and say: ‘Fernando, if this had happened a week ago, I would ask you to find me another club.’” Cavani’s remarks, made in May of last year, make for interesting reading.
“But not because I didn’t want to play with Cristiano Ronaldo. No. Because I had the opportunity to know him, and he is a great professional, with his targets, and that is perfect for a sportsman. But as I know, after years in football, how things work these days. That’s why I spoke to my brother.
“It was more about understanding the situation. Not because I couldn’t play in my role at Manchester, but because there are many things in football nowadays that are different from how they were with other people, how it was before, years ago. And since it happened suddenly, I felt nothing. I thought: We’ll play, do the best we can.”
Although Cavani did line up alongside Ronaldo and was even compelled to modify his shirt number to accommodate the football legend, he left before he could play in a competitive match under Ten Hag.
Ten Hag did not follow Cavani’s theory, as the record now demonstrates, and frequently rested Ronaldo during their half-season together. Actually, under the Dutchman’s supervision, the former Real Madrid star only played for ninety minutes on three separate occasions.
Ten Hag’s relationship with Ronaldo was doomed from the start, as evidenced by the fact that he rejected Cavani’s philosophy. Ten Hag’s relationship with Jadon Sancho deteriorated at the beginning of the current season, so the altercation with Ronaldo wouldn’t be his last.
