SOCCER
Why has former Real Madrid defender Raphaël Varane retired from soccer aged only 31?
The four-time Champions League winner has announced his retirement less than two months after signing for Serie A club Como.
Former Real Madrid defender Raphaël Varane has announced his retirement from professional soccer at the age of just 31.
The four-time Champions League winner revealed his intention to hang up his boots with immediate effect on Instagram on Wednesday, hours after French newspaper Le Parisien had reported such an announcement was imminent.
Varane’s retirement announcement
Although Varané's lengthy social media doesn’t explicitly state the reason for his decision, it mentions his desire to “go out strong, not just holding on to the game,” which appears to be a reference to the multitude of injuries that have severely hampered his career in the last few seasons.
“I hold myself to the highest standard, I want to go out strong, not just holding on to the game. It takes a big dose of courage to listen to your heart and your instinct. Desire and needs are two different things. I have fallen and risen a thousand times, and this time, it’s the moment to stop and hang my boots up with my final game winning a trophy at Wembley.”
How many trophies did Varane win in his career?
After 10 seasons with Real Madrid, in which he won three league titles and four Champions Leagues, Varane spent three years with Manchester United, where he suffered constant injuries which prevented him from showing his best form. He played in only 68 of a possible 114 Premier League games after moving to Old Trafford, although he won the League Cup and the FA Cup with the Red Devils.
At international level, he was a key part of France’s World Cup-winning team in 2018 and also reached the final with Les Bleus in Qatar in 2022, by which time fitness issues had already begun troubling him more seriously. He missed Euro 2016 on home soil through injury.
All in all, he won 22 trophies with Real Madrid, Manchester United and France.
Varane to stay with Como after retiring
The defender left United at the end of the season and joined Italian club Como, newly promoted to Serie A and managed by former Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fàbregas.
He made his debut for the Italian club against Sampdoria in the Coppa Italia on August 11 but lasted only 23 minutes before being forced off with a knee injury. It was initially suggested he would be sidelined for a month, but Como later opted to leave Varane off their roster for the season, which led to rumours he could retire. So it has proved.
“And so, a new life begins off the pitch”, Varane continues in his retirement post. “I will remain with Como. Just without using my boots and shin pads. Something I am looking forward to sharing more about soon.”