It was the topic of Wednesday night’s game between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. Cristiano Ronaldo refused to come on as a substitute in the Red Devils’ 2-0 win and not only left the bench but also fled Old Trafford. The consequence followed on Thursday: the Portuguese was suspended by the club.
The superstar is therefore not in the squad on Saturday when coach Erik ten Hag’s team play the top game at Chelsea (6:30 p.m.). “Yes, I can confirm that Cristiano Ronaldo refused to come on as a substitute against Tottenham,” said ten Hag at the press conference before the cracker in London, adding: “The details remain between Cristiano and me. The announcement is also clear, I think. ” “He remains an important player in the squad,” added the Dutchman, “but I’m the coach and I’m responsible for the culture here. I have to set standards and values and I have to control them. Football is a team sport.”
The superstar was also not allowed to take part in team training, but had to train alone on the pitch. “He has time to think about it now, but I also told everyone else that there must be consequences next time,” said the Dutchman.
In August’s friendly against Rayo Vallecano, Ronaldo drew a negative eye when he also left the stadium while the match was still in full swing. “After the Vallecano game, I told him it was unacceptable. This is the second time, so there are consequences. We’ll miss him in the squad tomorrow, but it’s important for the attitude and mentality of the group,” so ten Hag clearly. “Now we have to focus on Chelsea because that’s important.”
This article was originally published on 90min.com/de as After Ronaldo suspension: ten Hag with a tough announcement.
