Making examples of players and ‘always in conflict’: Varane provides a look behind the curtain of Ten Hag’s tenure

Stretty News

·19 de febrero de 2025

Making examples of players and ‘always in conflict’: Varane provides a look behind the curtain of Ten Hag’s tenure

After hanging up his boots for good in September 2024, Raphael Varane has reflected on a truly illustrious playing career at club and international level.

The defensive stalwart bid farewell to the game with an honours list most players can only fantasise about, with four Champions League titles, three La Liga titles and a World Cup among the lengthy list of his accolades.

OneFootball Videos

Varane, 31, spent three seasons with Manchester United before being released as a free agent last summer. His final game coincided with the FA Cup final, which the Red Devils were victorious in, meaning he pulled the curtains on his tenure the only way he knew how: by lifting silverware.

Unfortunately for the Frenchman, his time at Old Trafford was plagued by unrelenting injury setbacks. He was unavailable for around 50 matches in all competitions due to fitness or illness, and his absence was often detrimental to the squad’s form and results.

Given that he’d always been considered one of the most dependable centre-halves in world football, it raised eyebrows when Erik ten Hag was frequently leaving him on the bench in favour of, for example, a player like Victor Lindelof.

Reports at the time suggested there was something of a rift between the manager and Varane – hence why he was being overlooked at times when he was fully fit and available.

Speaking to The Athletic, the former Red has laid bare the details of his tumultuous relationship – labelled as a ‘bit idiosyncratic’ – with Ten Hag, saying: “It’s hard to find the right words. It was very tense at times. Sometimes, he made an effort to listen to the players’ feedback. Sometimes, he made decisions without listening to the players’ feelings. So there were ups and downs. It was complicated at times.”

Varane provides a look behind the curtain into Ten Hag’s management

Then, when Varane was omitted from the side that lost 3-0 to Manchester City at Old Trafford while featuring for merely 18 minutes in nine Premier League matches, Ten Hag cited ‘tactical reasons’ as the logic behind his decision.

“We had a robust discussion,” Varane continued. “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. 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.

“He said ‘OK, I hear what you said’ and after that, I didn’t play.”

While he didn’t believe Ten Hag was making an example out of him, Varane felt as though this was the case with some of his teammates, such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho, both of whom were frozen out by the now-sacked coach.

Adding that Ten Hag perhaps ‘wanted to gain respect through fear’, the seasoned veteran added: “He needed an example of a player who was alone the entire time he was at Manchester. He did that with at least one important player on the team. He was always in conflict with certain leaders of the group. That is his way of managing.”

Still, Varane acknowledges that it wasn’t all doom and gloom under the Dutchman. He was able to add two more winners’ medals to his collection by reigning victorious in the aforementioned FA Cup final of 2023/2024 and the 2022/2023 Carabao Cup final.

“I also have to recognise what was good (about Ten Hag’s management). He gave me the peace of mind to come back from my injury to play in the FA Cup final. He was counting on me. That was very positive because it allowed me to play my role in the team. We had ups and downs. I can’t say everything was bad. There were complicated moments.”