Raphael Varane Reveals Why He Left Real Madrid for Manchester United
Raphael Varane is one of the best defenders Real Madrid have had in recent times. The Frenchman, alongside the likes of Pepe and Sergio Ramos, was a mainstay at the heart of Los Blancos' backline.
Varane debuted for the club as a youngster in 2011 and left in 2021. Varane made 360 appearances for the club and won 18 trophies, including four UEFA Champions League titles and three La Liga titles. The Frenchman joined Manchester United after leaving Los Blancos and made 95 appearances for the Red Devils before leaving in 2024. He then played one game for Como and hung up the boots at 31.
Varane was a key player for Real Madrid and left the club at the age of 28, when he still had a lot of football left in him. The decision surprised many, and Varane has now revealed what prompted him to do so.
Speaking on The Bridge, Varane said:
It was actually a long process. It's not like you wake up in the morning and say I want to leave. In 2018, I won everything; in fact, we celebrated our fourth Champions League title quickly. It was like a normal thing, the next step is to win the Champions League and think about the next one.Raphael Varane
Varane added:
Then I won the World Cup and I said to myself, I've done it all. There came a point in my life where I restructured myself, reviewed some things regarding my career management, and said to myself, I need to keep feeling emotions, I need something different.Raphael Varane
Raphael Varane added that playing for Real Madrid is incredible but he felt to have achieved it all already. The French defender also pointed out the passion of English football, particularly in a top club like Manchester United. Varane has no regrets about his decision to leave Los Blancos.
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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.