Raphael Varane Reveals 'Mad' Reason Behind Cristiano Ronaldo’s Longevity
Cristiano Ronaldo turned 40 on February 5. While most players have finished their careers at that age, Ronaldo remains a rampant force.
The Portuguese star is scoring goals left and right for club and country and his incredible longevity boils down to his extreme physical care.
Raphael Varane has now shed light on the matter. The French defender played alongside Ronaldo for close to a decade at Real Madrid and Manchester United.
Speaking to L'Equipe, Varane said:
Firstly, he has an extraordinary physique. More importantly, he understood very young, very early on, that he needed to invest in his body to achieve his ambitions. He invested a lot of money throughout his career in his care, physically, mentally, or in performance research. That's the big difference with many high-level athletes: he did it from the start of his career when he was at Manchester United.
He added:
What isn't replicable is his willpower, absolutely extraordinary. His competitiveness is quite incredible, and that will be hard to copy; it's something you either have or don't. Making sacrifices, taking care of oneself, arriving earlier for training is within everyone's reach, but it requires willpower. It's very mental.
He added:
They say genius borders on madness, and what he does is sometimes a bit mad. It's so intense that it's impressive. He inspired me enormously throughout my career. Yes, hot bath, cold bath. But that's not a myth; I did it too. He does it for the physical aspect but also for the mind, to unwind before sleeping. He didn't do it every match nor did [he do] sit-ups all day long every day, but he always maintained this level of demand.
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Apratim is an experienced sports journalist having covered European and World Football, Combat Sports, Olympic Sports, and more for online media publications like Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, and more. He is currently an MSc. in Sport Marketing student at Loughborough University, London.