Raphael Varane OLI SCARFF / AFP
In an interview given to Canal +, the vice-captain of the France team gives the reasons why he decided to say stop.
A few weeks after his teammates Hugo Lloris and Steve Mandanda, Raphaël Varane also decided to retire from international football. A surprise announcement at only 29 years old for the one who has 93 selections in ten years with the Blues. In an interview with Canal + and broadcast on Sunday, the Manchester United defender talks about the reasons for this choice, evoking physical and moral wear and tear.
«I gave it my all, physically, psychologically, explains the new retiree. The very very high level is a washing machine. We play all the time, it never stops. Calendars are overloaded.Behind these words transpires a well-considered decision, in which the family factor was decisive. Soon to be a father for the third time, the native of Lens wants to take more advantage of his family. “I feel like I’m suffocating. The player is eating the man.»