'There are consequences': Erik Ten Hag confirms Cristiano Ronaldo refused to come on as a sub against Spurs

Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag on Friday confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo refused to come on as a substitute in the club's 2-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday. An angry Ronaldo had stormed off the pitch and left the stadium even before the full-time whistle.

Ronaldo, who has struggled for starts under Ten Hag, was criticised by many for his antics against Spurs as fans accused him of trying to steal the limelight from the team after their brilliant performance on the pitch. Ronaldo, who was one of the substitutes for United, had walked down the tunnel in frustration.

While many believed it was because he was not called upon as a sub, Ten Hag on Friday revealed Ronaldo refused to play. "Yes," replied the Manchester United manager when asked if Ronaldo had refused to come on.

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Ten Hag has decided to punish the 37-year-old United legend for his actions and has already dropped him from the squad which will face Chelsea in United's next Premier League outing on Sunday. Ronaldo has reportedly also been asked to train with United's U-21 team for the next few days.

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Opening up about his decision to drop Ronaldo for the Chelsea clash, Ten Hag said as the manager of the club, he is responsible for the culture inthe team andneeds to ensure the standards and the values at the club are not compromised.

"I am the manager, I am responsible for the culture here and I have to set standards and values and I have to control them. In the team, we have values and standards and I have to control that," said Ten Hag in a press conference ahead of the Chelsea clash.

"It will (be) a (time for) reflection for him, but also for everyone else. Football is a team sport and you have to fulfil certain standards. And I have to control it," he added.

This was not the first time Ronaldo decided to leave the stadium early while United were still involved in the game. The Portuguese had done the same during the club's pre-season friendly againstRayo Vallecano.

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Ten Hag said he had told Ronaldo his actions were unacceptable but the 37-year-old did it for the second time on Wednesday and will have to face the consequences. However, the United manager insisted the Portuguese remains an important member of the squad and that it's not the end for him at the club.

"After Vallecano, I told him it was unacceptable... this is the second time, there are consequences. We miss him tomorrow. It's a miss for the squad but it's important for the attitude and mentality of the group and now we have to focus on Chelsea as that is important," said Ten Hag.

"The statement is also clear. He remains an important player in the squad," he added.