The rumor had been circulating for a few hours, it is now official. In a statement published on his social networks on Wednesday, Raphaël Varane announced that he was retiring from professional football. The now thirty-one-year-old former defender leaves with one of the finest records in French football. Weakened by repeated injuries, he had just signed for Como this summer but a final physical problem forced him to call it a day.
Injured in the knee for his very first match with his new club, the player trained at Racing Club de Lens did not this time have the courage to embark on a new recovery to return to competition. For several years already, Varane had been prone to injuries and was no longer able to play full seasons. His departure from Real Madrid in the summer of 2021 will have marked the beginning of the end for him.
No regrets
Already tired by the pace imposed by the series of matches, he had decided to retire from international football just after the 2022 World Cup. In any case, he is leaving without sadness, as he said in his message to his supporters.
“I have fallen and gotten up hundreds of times and this time it is time to say stop (…). I have no regrets, I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Winner of four Champions Leagues with Real Madrid, the defender also announced that he would stay with Como “off the pitch”, and that he would say more very quickly about the rest of his adventures. The 2018 world champion with the Blues leaves with a well-stocked trophy cabinet. Without a shadow of a regret.
