Raphaël Varane’s Surprising Revelations on Erik ten Hag’s Tenure at Manchester United
In a candid interview with The Athletic, former Manchester United defender Raphaël Varane opened up about his time at Old Trafford and his thoughts on the club’s decision-making, particularly regarding Erik ten Hag. Varane, who joined United from Real Madrid, expressed his surprise at the club’s hierarchy offering Ten Hag a new contract last summer, despite what he described as a fractured bond between the manager and the squad.
Varane’s tenure at Manchester United coincided with Ten Hag’s two full seasons at the club. During this period, Ten Hag managed to secure the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup. However, the latter victory came during a challenging 2023-24 season, where United finished 8th in the Premier League. This FA Cup win was crucial in saving Ten Hag’s job, leading to a one-year contract extension. Yet, just four months later, the Dutchman was dismissed after a poor start to the season, with United winning only four of their first 13 games.
Reflecting on this, Varane said, “I was surprised he stayed. The connection with the group no longer existed.” His comments highlight the underlying tensions that seemed to plague Ten Hag’s relationship with the team. Varane himself experienced a complicated relationship with the manager. Initially a first-choice centre-back in Ten Hag’s first season, Varane found himself relegated to the bench for much of the following campaign without any explanation.
Varane recounted, “We had a robust discussion. We told each other some truths, but then I didn’t play for almost two months. I said I didn’t agree with certain ways of doing things regarding the relationship between him and the team.” He added, “It wasn’t something that I thought was good for the team because some of the players weren’t at all satisfied. It was not good in terms of the relationship with the coach.”
Varane’s experience wasn’t isolated. Ten Hag also had tense relationships with other high-profile players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho. Varane suggested that conflict was a fundamental aspect of Ten Hag’s management style.
Despite these challenges, Varane fought off competition and injuries towards the end of the 2023-24 season and played a pivotal role in the FA Cup final victory over Manchester City. He was eager to extend his stay at United for another year but realized that the club’s vision didn’t align with his own.
- Varane’s concerns included:
- Uncertainty about the future coach
- Lack of clarity on squad changes
- Absence of defined procedures and structure at the club
He explained, “I didn’t know who the coach would be. I didn’t know if they wanted to change the squad a lot or not. I had no visibility, so it’s difficult to commit when you don’t know exactly what you’re committing to.” Comparing his experiences, Varane noted, “At Madrid, they have a defined way of doing things at every level of the club. At Manchester [United], it was not clear or defined enough to know how to recruit, how to play, how to communicate. There weren’t the same procedures, processes, structure.”
Ultimately, Varane moved to Serie A side Como on a free transfer. However, his time there was short-lived due to a knee injury just 20 minutes into his debut, leading to his retirement from professional football at the age of 31.
Originally Written by: ESPN
