New Delhi: Raphael Varane is without a doubt one of the most underrated and under appreciated defenders of our generation. He was a reliable presence at the back for Real Madrid, and his contribution to this legendary club was immense during his amazing stint with the Spanish giants. The French defender made a total of 360 appearances in 10 years for Madrid, where he won 18 trophies including four Champions League titles. He eventually made his move to Manchester United after his legendary stint with Los Blancos, and he won an FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
The Premier League appealed to him because he was looking for a fresh challenge. He traded Manchester United for Real Madrid in the summer of 2021, despite the fact that the two teams were in such different circumstances. The prospect of creating something appealed to Varane, who wanted to use his background to assist United in their trophy-winning endeavors. However, in an interview with The Athletic, he talked about his thoughts on his time at United and also the management.
Varane’s thoughts on his relationship with Ten Hag
He played under three different managers in his debut season: Ralf Rangnick (an interim appointment from November), Michael Carrick (a brief stint in caretaker command), and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The next summer, Erik ten Hag was appointed as the new permanent manager in April 2022. Varane’s Madrid experience contrasted sharply with Ten Hag’s coaching approach.
In the interview, he asserted that the style was completely different from Madrid’s system, with pretty strict, predetermined play patterns. The ability to adjust on the field was severely limited. The game plans contained a ton of information and were extremely detailed. It was not the same.
As an instinctive player, Varane preferred more autonomy, which he had at his previous club and with France. “We could say to each other, ‘You have to do it more like this’, instead of a system that was, let’s say, a bit blocked by the coach’s instructions,” he said.
“A bit idiosyncratic” is how Varane characterizes his relationship with Ten Hag. “It’s hard to find the right words. It was very tense at times. Sometimes he made an effort to listen to the players’ feedback. Sometimes he made decisions without listening to the players’ feelings. So there were ups and downs. It was complicated at times.”
Varane was Ten Hag’s first-choice center-back during the 2022–2023 season, but despite being available, he did not start a single game from October until mid-December of the following season. He didn’t play in a Manchester derby when United lost to City 3-0 at Old Trafford, and he only played 18 minutes in nine league games throughout that time. Ten Hag said to the media at the time that it was done for “tactical reasons.” Some at the club believed Varane was physically unable of handling the manager’s insistence on playing a high line. There were significant gaps between United’s high press and low-block defense.
Varane claims that Ten Hag just mentioned that it was for the team’s sake and gave him no further justification for his exclusion. “We had a robust discussion. We told each other some truths, but then I didn’t play for almost two months.”
Varane said that he expressed his disapproval of various approaches to the interaction between Ten Hag and the team. He thought that the players were not happy and it wasn’t a good sign for the team and the relationship between the players and the coach. The response from the Dutchman wasn’t good either. “He said ‘OK, I hear what you said’ and after that I didn’t play,” Varane said.
The difference between United and Madrid
Varane had a contract that ended in 2024, with an additional season option. He intended to stay for another year, but it became evident from talks between Brailsford and John Murtough, United’s former football director, that the club and the player were not on the same page.“I didn’t know who the coach would be. I didn’t know if they wanted to change the squad a lot or not. I had no visibility, so it’s difficult to commit when you don’t know exactly what you’re committing to.”
Varane left as a free agent after the two sides mutually decided to terminate his contract. He claims, “It wasn’t problematic.” He spent three tumultuous years at United, and his tenure came to an end shortly after INEOS joined the team. However, he pointed out that there were significant distinctions between the organization’s operations and those at Madrid.
According to Varane, there wasn’t a clear framework for how things were going to operate, even from the player’s perspective. For years, there has been no set technique. Every level of the club at Real Madrid follows a set procedure and It wasn’t clear or defined enough at Manchester United to know how to play, recruit, or communicate. The organization, procedures, and processes were different.
“It’s not one person’s responsibility. That’s the problem — we don’t even know whose fault it is. It has to be in the overall structure of the organisation. There were too many people involved in the decision-making process, so we didn’t know who was really making the decisions. I can’t say who was responsible, I don’t know. It was a bit of everyone and a bit of no one.”
He feels that United have given in to the pressure of expectation. Varane said that they occasionally had to make snap decisions or make changes when the storm hit. Further comparing the situation to his previous club, he said that people at Real Madrid were able to cope with the pressure and accept it.
Current scenarios and Varane showing gratitude
Raphael Varane of Manchester United holds aloft the Emirates FA Cup Trophy in celebration after winning the 2024 Emirates FA Cup Final during the Emirates FA Cup Final match between Manchester City and Manchester United (Photo by Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images)
Varane’s opinions on Rashford’s recent loan move from the United youth to Aston Villa, a Premier League team just a few hours away by vehicle from Old Trafford, for the remainder of the season are conflicted. He said that it’s really tough to stay for so many years with this level of demand and intensity, during which time the environment is frequently bad due to performances that fall short of expectations. Varane feels that it’s a good thing that he’s changing his surroundings. He is an avid supporter of the team and will do everything for the shirt.
“I’m surprised he’s going (to a club) so close to Manchester. I imagined him going further than a few kilometres away” Varane said.
Varane thinks he had a good time in Manchester overall and has good recollections of his time there, despite some of his difficulties. He gained a lot of knowledge and admired the pride and regard the United supporters exhibited for the team’s players. He said that they wanted to return the affection they showed us on the field since it was a major source of motivation. “We were prepared to fight, and we never gave up, even in trying circumstances,” he recalls.
In the end, Varane describes United as an “exceptional, magical and unique” club. His stint with the Red Devils may not have gone as planned but he certainly cherishes the moments he had at Manchester.
Raphael Varane, who has played for Manchester United and Real Madrid, opened up about his time at Manchester United, how the management and mentality is different in both the clubs and also his relationship with Erik Ten-Hag in an interview. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
