Raphaël Varane has said he was “surprised” by the Manchester United’s hierarchy’s decision to offer Erik ten Hag a new contract last summer as his bond with the squad was deeply fractured by that point.
The former France international’s time at Old Trafford overlapped with Ten Hag’s two full seasons at the club, where he won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup.
The latter, which came in a dire 2023-24 season that saw United finish 8th in the Premier League, rescued Ten Hag’s job and saw him offered a one-year extension on his deal. But just four months on, the Dutchman was fired after a dismal start to the season that saw United win four of their first 13 games.
“I was surprised he stayed,” Varane said in an interview with The Athletic. “The connection with the group no longer existed.”
“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 said.
“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.”
Varane joined Serie A side Como on a free transfer but in the aftermath of a knee injury 20 minutes into his debut, he announced his retirement from the sport at the age of 31.
