A current Manchester United coach has shed light on the reasons behind Jadon Sancho’s refusal to apologize to Erik ten Hag. Benni McCarthy, the former Blackburn, West Ham, and Porto striker, now part of Manchester United’s coaching staff, has acted as a mentor and friend to Sancho during a difficult period.
Sancho’s troubles at Manchester United began early in the season when he was dropped from the squad for a match against Arsenal. After the game, Ten Hag explained that Sancho was left out due to poor performance in training. Sancho, however, refuted this claim on social media, stating that he had been made a “scapegoat,” essentially accusing his manager of lying.
Following this public disagreement, Sancho was made to train alone and was not allowed to eat in the club’s canteen with his teammates. Ten Hag insisted that Sancho needed to apologize to be reintegrated into the team, but the £73 million star refused, leading to a stalemate between the player and the manager. In January, Sancho returned on loan to his former club, Borussia Dortmund.
Manchester United’s Stalemate Explained
Ahead of Borussia Dortmund’s Champions League final against Real Madrid, Benni McCarthy spoke on South African radio station 947 Joburg to explain Sancho’s perspective. McCarthy said, “If you’re from the streets, no one wants to apologize. You admit you are not training well, you are lazy, everything you are accused of. Jadon wasn’t going to have that.”
McCarthy further explained that Ten Hag had a strong character and wanted an apology. “The manager has a strong character and just said that all he wants is an apology. Jadon thought that he had done nothing wrong,” he added.
McCarthy continued, “Sometimes you have to apologize because a player will never win against a manager. I spoke to Jadon as a coach, as a mentor, as a friend, and as someone who grew up on the streets and knows the code. But Jadon just wasn’t seeing it. He said, ‘I ain’t apologizing because if I do, I’m apologizing for being lazy, always being late, not giving my best – that’s what I’m apologizing for.’ Those were his reasons.”
McCarthy also mentioned discussing the situation with Ten Hag, explaining Sancho’s feelings. “I spoke to the manager and I said to him that you know the delicacy, and I think Jadon feels that if he apologises then he’s going to be classed as someone who doesn’t train hard, doesn’t work hard, that everything that was said against him was true.”
The saga dragged on longer than necessary, according to McCarthy, who believes it could have been resolved with better communication. He also revealed that his own contract with Manchester United is set to expire next month, and his future is uncertain. “I don’t know if I’m going to stay or leave. I learned a lot at Man United working with Erik, he’s one of the smartest managers I’ve known. My contract ends in June. If the club wants me to continue in this role, I would be grateful. That would be great. I love my role, I love working for Manchester United, but the desire to be a manager, to be the person in charge is still there.”
Sancho, meanwhile, has found a resurgence at Borussia Dortmund, contributing significantly to their Champions League campaign. Former Dortmund player Paul Lambert commented on Sancho’s situation, saying, “For Jadon, this is a really great opportunity — he could become a legend forever at Dortmund. Now, he is not getting criticized by fans, media, pundits, or his manager. Everyone loves him at Dortmund, where he was before.”
Sancho has scored twice and assisted three times in 14 Bundesliga appearances this season and will be looking to make a difference in the Champions League final against Real Madrid. His journey back to Borussia Dortmund has been a chance for redemption and a reminder of his immense talent. As he prepares for the final, Sancho can cement his legacy and show the world why he is still one of the brightest talents in football.
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