After more than 10 years with the France team, the 29-year-old northern footballer, 2018 world champion, has decided to retire from international football citing physical and psychological wear and tear.
With 93 selections and 5 goals in the colors of the blues, the 2018 world champion Raphaël Varane chooses to put an end to his international rear, according to information from our colleagues from Parisian.
In the columns of our colleagues, the northerner mentions a certain “physical and psychological wear“.
Last feat in date within the national team, it was against Argentina in this anthology World Cup final that he played until the 113th minute.
According to the national daily, the boss of the defense of the blues, aspires to spend more time with his family.
Trained at RC Lens, Raphaël Varane signed for Real Madrid at the age of 18 in 2011 on the recommendations of Zinedine Zidane. During his Merengue period, he became one of the best defenders in Europe. It is notably three times Spanish champion and four times winner of the UEFA Champions League. Ten years later, he left Spain to join the English team of Manchester United.
Called for the first time in the France team in 2013, he is one of Didier Deschamps’ defensive executives who are competing for the 2014 World Cup, where the Blues reach the quarter-finals. Injured, he did not participate in Euro 2016, but regained his starting place in central defense to win the World Cup 2018 where he scored against Uruguay in the quarter-finals. The day after the World Cup 2022where the selection failed in the final against Argentinahe therefore announces his international retirement at only 29 years old.
Raphaël Varane will have been for a decade a “leader” for the Blues and an “effective relay” for coaching, reacted coach Didier Deschamps, welcoming with “emotion” the departure of the 2018 world champion.
“I cannot turn this page without a certain emotion, given the links we have forged since August 2012. Like Hugo Lloris, he will have been, barring injury, on all my lists.“, Deschamps said in a statement sent by the French Football Federation (FFF).
I respect his decision even if it may seem regrettable in view of everything he was able to do with the selection until the World Cup.
Didier Deschamps, coach of the Blues
“I respect his decision even if it may seem regrettable in view of everything he was able to do with the selection until the World Cup during which he behaved, from start to finish, like the leader that the we know“, added Deschamps who drew a parallel between the early decision of Varane, at 29, and his own international retirement as a player, just after Euro 2000 won by the Blues.
“Raphaël believes that he has reached the end of his adventure with the France team. I lived a situation somewhat similar to his, I understand his arguments“, continued “DD” about his vice-captain.
“As our paths diverge, I wanted to salute his honesty, his unwavering commitment to the blue jersey. Raphael has played a pivotal role on and off the pitch for the past decade. I had a lot of fun being his trainer.“, he concluded.