Man Utd boss confirms CR7 was 'punished'

Man United coach confirms disciplinary measures against CR7

October 12, 2022 By Oscar Rojas

Topics: UEFA Europa League, English Premier League, Cristiano Ronaldo, Erik Ten Hag

The Dutch boss also revealed that the Portuguese ace can now be considered as a starter after catching up with his teammates in terms of physical shape.

What started out as a rumor has been confirmed by Manchester United's boss earlier today: Cristiano Ronaldo was sent to the bench as punishment for his late arrival to the team's preseason. To make matters worse, coach Ten Hag did not hold back on his criticism against the Portuguese ace.

Speaking in the pre-match press conference ahead of their clash against Omonia Nicosia, coach Ten Hag aimed a slight dig at his footballer's decision not to be around for the team's preparations ahead of the ongoing season, raising doubts regarding the player's form during the first months of the season.

"It has been proven one more time, no matter who you are, you simply cannot skip preseason," Ten Hag stated.

Nevertheless, the Dutch boss admitted that the player has worked as hard as the other guy to get back in shape, and that his skills will always come in handy for the team when needed.

"I want to support him as much as I can. We have certain requirements for all the players, which is a way of measuring what we expect in certain positions. I want to get the best out of him, he is in much better shape now, and I am very glad about it," the coach added.

The Red Devils are second in Group E of the continental tournament with six points after three games, which makes their match against the Cypriot side.