Just a few weeks after Cristiano Ronaldo achieved the remarkable milestone of scoring his 700th goal in club football, he has transitioned from a goal machine and a nightmare for goalkeepers into a captive under his coach Erik Ten Hag. Ronaldo, who has spent the last 20 years of his career being the star player for clubs like Real Madrid, where he scored 450 goals, Juventus (101 goals), and even Manchester United, where he netted more than 140 goals during his first stint from 2003 to 2009 and his first season back in 2021, has seen his fortunes change this season with Ten Hag's arrival as manager of the "Red Devils."
Under the strict Dutch coach, Ronaldo's appearances in matches have become rare, as he has started only two Premier League games this season, scoring one goal, alongside another goal in the Europa League—a competition he had initially hoped to avoid in favor of competing in the Champions League, Europe's premier club tournament.
As Ronaldo continues to sit on the bench, tensions between him and his coach have escalated. The situation became apparent during the Newcastle match last weekend, where the five-time Ballon d'Or winner appeared displeased with Ten Hag's decision to substitute him in the 71st minute while the score was tied at 0-0.
The moment that triggered the crisis between the pair came during the match against Tottenham on Wednesday, when "the Don" left the pitch before the final whistle. This act was in protest against his lack of participation in the game as either a starter or a substitute. Ronaldo’s outburst was not his first this season, as his attempt to leave the team in the summer had failed.
In response to Ronaldo's peculiar actions during the Tottenham match, Ten Hag made a firm decision to exclude him from the list of players traveling to London for the match against Chelsea last Saturday, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Hours after the announcement of his exclusion, Ronaldo seemingly offered an implicit apology through an Instagram post stating, "I have always tried to be an example for the young people who grew up in all the teams I represented. Unfortunately, this is not always possible, and sometimes we get carried away in the moment." He added, "Right now, I only feel that I should continue to work hard at Carrington (United's training center), support my teammates, and be ready for anything in any game. Giving in to pressure is not an option. It never has been. This is Manchester United, and we must remain united. Soon we will be back together."
Ten Hag responded positively to Ronaldo's "good intentions," announcing that the Portuguese player would return to the first team at Manchester United and would be relied upon for the remainder of the season. It is highly likely that Ronaldo will accept his new role at Manchester under Ten Hag, taking a place on the bench and participating in limited minutes to maintain his readiness, at least in anticipation of participating in the most significant event of the year, the World Cup in Qatar.
Numerous reports suggest that United and Ronaldo will seek to reach an agreement to part ways after the World Cup, coinciding with the opening of the winter transfer window.
