Erik ten Hag has broken his two-year silence on Manchester United, accusing the club's hierarchy of breaking the promises made to him in Ibiza — and admitting the sale of Scott McTominay to Napoli against his wishes left him "very embarrassed and disappointed".
The Dutchman, sacked in October 2024 and now technical director of his boyhood club FC Twente, gave his first in-depth interview since leaving Old Trafford to The Athletic, in comments reported by Sky Sports. Ten Hag had looked certain to lose his job before the 2024 FA Cup final, only for a 2-1 win over Manchester City at Wembley to prompt a U-turn. Two weeks later, after crunch talks during his holiday in Ibiza, the extra year in his contract was triggered.
"I wouldn't go on with only one year left," Ten Hag said. "So I said, 'I need an extra year and we have to do it together'. They promised me loyalty, they promised me backing, they promised communication, that we get aligned. We spoke about the issues. But the promises, they didn't keep."
'No selling Scott McTominay'
The clearest example, Ten Hag says, was McTominay. The Scotland midfielder had scored 10 goals in the 2023-24 season — only Bruno Fernandes and Rasmus Hojlund scored more for United — yet he was sold to Napoli later that summer for €30.5 million as the club raised funds to buy Manuel Ugarte.
"In Ibiza, we agreed. I said, 'No selling Scott McTominay'. We would go aligned in the transfer window. I make an argument, a reason: we don't have scoring abilities. Scott brings scoring abilities and great mentality. He has United in all his veins. So when they bring up the subject, 'No'. And in the end they sold him. I got, of course, very embarrassed and disappointed."
History has not been kind to the decision. McTominay became a hero in Naples, inspiring Napoli to the Serie A title in his debut campaign, and his rise has continued to the point where McTominay is now being linked with Real Madrid amid stalled contract talks. Ten Hag did get two former Ajax players that summer, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, but they had only two months together: United were 14th, with 11 points from nine games, when he was dismissed on 28 October 2024, the day after a 2-1 defeat at West Ham.
Ronaldo 'let the team down'
Ten Hag was equally blunt about Cristiano Ronaldo, the superstar he inherited in 2022. "He let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him," he said, explaining that he had flown to Portugal to outline his plans before taking the job.
According to Ten Hag, Ronaldo pulled out of training sessions, did not raise his heart rate to the required level when he did train, and completed only two of the three laps in the infamous run ordered after the 4-0 defeat at Brentford. "Many times I say, 'Ronnie, everyone wants to work for you to bring you in the right position, but if you can't bring yourself in the box, you can't score'. He was not capable to do this. He ran neither in possession nor out of possession. The reason was because he didn't prepare himself."
He also claimed he was not supported when he sanctioned players over discipline, naming the wider dressing-room culture as a problem the club kept feeding. It is a theme that has not gone away: player power is back in the spotlight at Old Trafford after the recent Martinez outburst that saw United's players silenced following the defeat at Leeds.
'I fought for Kane'
The interview also lifts the lid on the signings Ten Hag wanted and never got. Frenkie de Jong was his first choice in midfield but declined to join; he pressed for Declan Rice, who instead moved to Arsenal for £105 million; and at centre-forward there was only one name. "I said to them, 'I want only one player — and you know who'. I fought for it," he said of Harry Kane, who he believes was positive about the move. United said no, and Kane joined Bayern Munich for €110 million, scoring 157 goals in 155 games since.
Ten Hag says he still had the dressing room when he was sacked, still believes United could have won that season's Europa League, and insists the data showed his team were improving despite the 3-0 home defeats by Liverpool and Tottenham. Part two of the interview, covering Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and why Sevilla was the turning point of his reign, will be published on Wednesday.
So what does it mean?
This is not just an old manager settling scores. Ten Hag's account goes to the argument that has followed every United manager since Sir Alex Ferguson: whether the structure above the coach makes success impossible. His version — agreements made in Ibiza, then a marquee academy product sold over his head to fund a replacement — will be disputed at Old Trafford, but McTominay's Serie A title makes it very hard to dismiss. And notably, Ten Hag refused to join the pile-on around the current boss, backing Carrick when asked about Michael Carrick's position: "It is not the solution to dismiss him. 100 per cent not. Let him do his process."
Beyond the Final Whistle: Ten Hag had two trophies, a Wembley win over City and a dressing room he insists was still fighting for him — and United still sold the one player he had explicitly ring-fenced, weeks after promising him alignment. Managers fail at Old Trafford for many reasons, but this interview reframes Ten Hag's end as a structural failure first and a coaching failure second. When the man you sacked is reduced to pleading 'no selling' about a player who then wins Serie A, the problem was never only in the dugout.
Was Ten Hag failed by United's hierarchy — or is this a sacked manager rewriting history? Let us know what you think in the comments.
