“They say all good things must come to an end.” These are the words with which the former French international, Raphaël Varane, opened his farewell message to football, posted on Wednesday September 25 on the social network Instagram. No regrets ” And ” proud to have, whatever happens, respected my principles of sincerity and to have tried to leave things better than I found them”he announced that he wanted to stay in Como (Italy), his last – and short-lived – club, to start a new life. “off the field”the outlines of which he will reveal soon.
“During my career, I have faced many challenges (…), “I have experienced incredible emotions, special moments and memories that will last a lifetime. As I reflect on these moments, it is with immense pride and a sense of accomplishment that I announce my retirement from the game we all love.”developed the player. With 93 selections in the French team, a World Cup in 2018, a Nations League in 2021 and four Champions Leagues won with Real Madrid (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018), where he played for ten years (2011-2021), Raphaël Varane leaves the field crowned with one of the finest records in French football.
The former international, injured in the knee since August 12 with his club Como, which he had just joined, was not on the list of players able to take part in the Italian championship. Since then, several Italian media outlets had reported that the promoted to Serie A, coached by Cesc Fabregas, could terminate his contract. He had joined the Lombard city after three seasons at Manchester United, marked by injuries, to the back, hamstrings, groin, but also to the ankle. In April 2024, the central defender spoke about the taboo of concussions in football to The Team.
A pillar of the Blues’ defense for ten years, Varane was trained at Racing Club de Lens, which he left in 2011 to join Real Madrid at the age of 17. The Northerner wore the captain’s armband for the French team twenty times, including sixteen times from the kick-off. He was also the second youngest captain of the Blues, at the age of 21 years, 5 months and 21 days.
Contrary to a trend in modern football where players are pushing back the retirement deadline as long as possible – such as Cristiano Ronaldo or Modric (39 years old) – Raphaël Varane has decided to hang up his boots while still young, as Michel Platini (32 years old), Marco Van Basten (30 years old) or Eric Cantona (31 years old) did in their time. The central defender had already chosen to end his international career, at the beginning of 2023, at only 29 years old.
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His announcement comes as footballers’ discontent with the extended seasons reaches a new peak. Players from the biggest clubs are exposed to an increase in the calendar, both because of the reform of continental competitions (two additional matches this season) and the expansion of the Club World Cup, the next edition of which is scheduled (from June 15 to July 13, 2025), just after the European championships and competitions.
The players’ protests over the overloaded schedules in European football have been fuelled in recent days by football stars, particularly in England with Alisson (Liverpool) and Rodri (Manchester City), who was then seriously injured – a ruptured cruciate ligament in his right knee, ending his season. The International Federation of Professional Footballers has been warning for several years about the inflation in the number of matches played per season, which for some players exceeds 70 matches, endangering the physical and mental health of players.