In an interview with L’Équipe, Raphaël Varane talks about the difficulties he had to manage during his playing career. The former defender of the French team, who will become a manager at the Como club in Italy, explains in particular that he had to change his entourage several times to preserve his interests.
Three weeks after announcing his retirement as a player, at the age of 31, Raphaël Varane spoke at length in an interview with L’Équipe. The opportunity for the former captain of the France team (93 caps, 5 goals) to look back on the difficulties he encountered during his career. Off the field in particular.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United defender, who will join the development committee of the Como club in Italy (whose colors he briefly wore this summer), explains having “swallowed snakes” throughout his course. “It was very, very hard,” he assures, confiding that he now wants to invest in mentoring to “help the players find a balance around football”.
“When you have a little experience, you see the tricks”
A difficult goal to achieve, according to the 2018 world champion, who warns of the excesses in the football world. “I changed my entourage several times, I had to put up certain barriers with relatives or outside people who arrived,” says Varane, who returned to settle in with family in Madrid. “In training centers, we don’t teach you how to change social category, how to manage your change in life with those around you. I’ve seen lots of careers fail to take off, and families explode (…) The problem too , it’s the conflicts of interest, and the players who are in the middle of it all.”
“It’s just that the whole system is built so that the player does not think and does not see that he is being had,” continues the Northerner, trained at RC Lens. “When you have a little experience, you see the game, the tricks. Afterwards, you have the choice to accept being fooled, and you sign for your peace of mind: do your shenanigans, I concentrate on my family and about the game. Or you don’t agree, and it takes a lot of energy from you. I don’t want to say too much, but it’s important to know that football is an industry. particular”.
