Wesley Sneijder hints at moment Erik ten Hag lost Man Utd dressing room with bold move that ‘lost everyone’s respect’
ERIK TEN HAG lost the Manchester United dressing room when he axed Cristiano Ronaldo, claims Wesley Sneijder.
The Dutchman, 54, got rid of Ronaldo in November 2022 following the forward’s interview with Piers Morgan.
Ronaldo, 39, claimed at the time that he “did not respect” Ten Hag, having been dropped from the former Ajax boss’ starting XI.
The Portuguese veteran started just four Premier League matches under Ten Hag, before having his £500,000 a week contract terminated.
He subsequently left European football to join Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.
Sneijder, who briefly overlapped with Ronaldo at Real Madrid, believes that Ten Hag’s hard line stance may have backfired.
Appearing on Dutch programme Veronica Offside, the 39-year-old said of his compatriot Ten Hag: “He already made a mistake by competing with Ronaldo.
“He lost everyone’s respect there. He thought it would work the other way around, but of course not.
“Those guys in the dressing room thought, ‘Is this man crazy?'”
Ten Hag will have one year remaining on his Man Utd contract come the end of the season.
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Pundits verdict on Ten Hag's future
Where do the pundits stand on Erik ten Hag's Manchester United future
Jamie Carragher – Sacked
“I don’t see how Erik ten Hag stays. It’s just performance after performance.”
Gary Neville – Stay if he wins the FA Cup
“To sack a manager who’s won two trophies in his first two seasons at the club I think would be extreme.”
Louis Saha – On the fence
“I don’t see it as clearly but they need changes from the players but they need changes from him as well.”
Alan Shearer – Sacked
“I believe the future of the Man Utd manager is already determined. Even if they win the FA Cup I think he’s gone.”
With the Red Devils now mathematically guaranteed to miss out on the top four, pressure has heaped upon their boss’ shoulders.
There has been speculation that Ineos, who purchased a 27.7 per cent stake in United earlier this season, could look to bring in their own manager.
On the prospect of a Ten Hag United exit, Sneijder added: “Of course he already knows that he has to leave.
“But you’re not going to go yourself. If I was him, I would sit there comfortably [until he’s sacked].”
Ajax are reportedly interested in bringing Ten Hag back to Amsterdam, where he spent five years as boss between 2017 and 2022.
However, they are claimed to fear that even if he should depart Old Trafford, that Ten Hag may covet another job in a more prestigious league than the Eredivisie.
