🚨🗣️ 𝗡𝗘𝗪: Erik ten Hag on Cristiano Ronaldo:
“The players wanted to WORK FOR HIM and they looked up to him. Let there be no misunderstanding about that… He is, of course, a tremendous player, one of the greatest of all time…"
"But the reality is that over the last 7 or 8 years, he simply has NOT been able to deliver anymore. From Juventus onwards, it was simply OVER."
"And that is actually Real Madrid’s great strength. They always know when to say goodbye to players."
"Real Madrid recognise when a player’s level is declining, and they say goodbye at a moment when, to the outside world, they still appear to be at their peak. But they can no longer actually deliver, without it becoming painful."
"When I started at Manchester United, I explained to Ronaldo how we were going to play, what his role would be, what I expected of him, and what he could expect from me and from the team."
"But ultimately, you also have to deliver yourself. As I just said, he could no longer bring himself to push through the pain, to give everything every single day, and to train at his maximum in order to get fit."
"And if you’re not fit in the Premier League, the Champions League, or with the Portuguese national team, well, then you simply have no chance."
—
@ESPNnl