Erik ten Hag ‘Reminded’ of Cristiano Ronaldo’s 50 Goals as Manchester United Dealt $10.5 Million Blow After UCL Exit

The defeat against Bayern Munich means Manchester United has crashed out of the UEFA Champions League. A tough pill for fans to swallow, considering both Galatasaray and FC Copenhagen finished ahead of them. As manager Erik ten Hag is in the firing line for every dart of criticism, he has been once again reminded of the controversial decision to force soccer icon Cristiano Ronaldo out of the squad.

The exit from the Champions League also brings negative financial implications for Manchester United. A failure to progress to the round of 16 means the club has lost $10.5 Million in revenue. This defeat will surely take some bouncing back from ten Hag and Co.

Piers Morgan takes a dig at Erik ten Hag with a Cristiano Ronaldo tweet

English TV personality Piers Morgan posted a tweet aimed at ten Hag for his treatment of Cristiano Ronaldo. The caption read, “Cristiano Ronaldo, the man deemed surplus to requirements at Manchester United a year ago by Erik ten Hag, has scored 50 goals for club & country in 2023. The most by any professional footballer in the world.” Considering how Manchester United’s forwards lacked clinical efficiency in front of goal throughout the season, the presenter does seem to have a point.

Cristiano Ronaldo has 40 goals for Al Nassr in 2023 and is tied with Erling Haaland as the leading goalscorer in the calendar year. On the other hand, Manchester United’s $82m signing Rasmus Højlund has just 5 goals in 20 games in this campaign. The story is similar for Marcus Rashford and Antony, who have 2 and 0 goals, respectively.

Interestingly, it was CR7 himself who scored 6 goals in 7 games and single-handedly helped United qualify for the round of 16 in their last Champions League campaign. Hence, ten Hag will have to face uncomfortable questions regarding the CR7 saga. However, the Champions League exit also resulted in huge financial losses for the club, which could indirectly impact ten Hag’s plans.

UCL exit’s impact on Manchester United’s finances

The UCL prize money is dependent on the club’s performance. United have lost $10.5 million for failure to qualify from the group. This is without taking into account the significant broadcast revenue they could have made, which is dependent on the number of matches played. Last year’s winner Manchester City had an increase of $63.25 million in broadcast revenue, highlighting the opportunity missed by the Red Devils.

Read More: Cristiano Ronaldo Finally Reacts to Erik ten Hag Before Equaling Erling Haaland in Al Nassr’s Win vs Al Shabab

Moreover, Manchester United spent over $215 million in the summer transfer window. Considering that United are preparing for an investment deal, major transfers are unlikely in January. The early UCL exit will also hurt the club in their conquest to comply with the FFP rules. As per recent figures, the club has made a $41 million pre-transfer loss. Will the revenue they missed out on come back to haunt them?

Did Manchester United miss Cristiano Ronaldo in the UCL campaign? Let us know in the comments below.

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