'It was a standoff!' - Ex-Man Utd coach sheds light on how Cristiano Ronaldo butted heads with former boss Erik ten Hag before monumental fall-out

Mitchell Fretton Tue, 17 February 2026 at 4:13 pm UTC·3 min read Ronaldo's controversial role under Ten Hag A player with Ronaldo's CV was never going to sit quietly and accept the fact that he was a secondary player in Ten Hag's squad, but that was the reality facing the ex-Real Madrid superstar. Having deployed a high-energy, pressing set of tactics at Ajax, the Dutchman wanted to do the same in Manchester - something Ronaldo has never been asked to do. It led to a strained relationship between player and manager, with McClaren - who served as Ten Hag's assistant - opening up on the...