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Raphael Varane, the former Real Madrid defender, has recently shared his thoughts on his football career, particularly emphasizing the model that Real Madrid has established and its importance for other top clubs.
Varane began his journey with Real Madrid in 2011 and spent an impressive ten seasons with the club before making the decision to transfer to Manchester United in the English Premier League.
Throughout his career, Varane has faced challenges with injuries, which ultimately led to his early retirement from professional football.
Earlier this year, his debut for Como was marred by a knee injury sustained during a Coppa Italia match against Sampdoria. This setback was significant, and in August, he decided to retire from the sport.
Real Mdarid’s model
Reflecting on his time at Real Madrid, Varane expressed gratitude for the opportunities the club provided, particularly in nurturing young talent.
“I was lucky to come to a club that gives young players time to learn at a very high level and mature physically,” he said as quoted by AS.
He noted how the club’s approach has benefited not only him but also fellow players such as Federico Valverde, Vinícius Jr., and Rodrygo.
“What they have done over the years, with me, with (Federico) Valverde, with Vinicius, with Rodrygo, is exceptional.
“All the big clubs should copy Real. The club extends training sessions, while in other places young players start earlier and earlier and get tired earlier and earlier,” he noted.
Jose Mourinho’s impact
He also recalled the club’s transformative journey during his time there. Varane highlighted the impact of managers like Jose Mourinho, who initiated significant changes, and Carlo Ancelotti, who further developed the team’s success.
He mentioned that the peak of his career coincided with the golden generation of players, with Zinedine Zidane as the head coach.
“Jose Mourinho started something huge. Ancelotti managed to turn it into something great and then we had the golden generation at its peak, with Zizou at the helm.”
Varane acknowledges the immense knowledge he gained under Zidane’s guidance, even though they did not always see eye to eye on various matters.
“He called me to Lens to sign for Real and that’s how I found him as a coach. I learned a lot from him, even though we didn’t always agree on everything,” he concluded.
