France boss Didier Deschamps “not happy” with retirement of Manchester United defender Raphael Varane
Didier Deschamps, the head coach of France, has admitted that he is “not happy” with the retirement of Manchester United defender Raphael Varane from international football.
The 29-year-old surprisingly called time on his international career after the 2022 World Cup. In Qatar, the centre-back was influential for Les Bleus as they reached the final, only losing to Argentina in the penalty shootout.
France are now set to take on the Netherlands and Ireland in the Euro 2024 qualifiers in the international break. Speaking to RMC Sport (h/t Daily Mail) ahead of the fixtures, Deschamps expressed his disappointment in Varane’s decision but was understanding of it.
“It is not something I’m happy about, but it’s everyone’s situation that you can make a decision like that. I respect it.”
Over the years, the 29-year-old had been a key player for Les Bleus in various major competitions. Deschamps was the one who gave the centre-back his national team debut back in March 2013 in a 3-1 win over Georgia.
The former Real Madrid star has played in multiple World Cups and Euros under the 54-year-old manager. In 2018, France went on to lift the golden trophy in Russia.
Varane established himself as one of the best defenders in the world during his long spell at Los Blancos, winning multiple Champions League and La Liga titles.
In the summer of 2021, United signed the French national from the Spanish giants. However, the centre-back’s debut campaign was marred by injuries.
This season, with the arrival of Lisandro Martinez from Ajax, we have seen the best of the 29-year-old. The two have formed a formidable partnership for the Red Devils in the backline. The Old Trafford side went on to end our six-year trophy drought recently and won the Carabao Cup.
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While it is surprising to see someone of Varane’s age and influence retire from international football, hopefully, it will help him focus on United more.
As for France, they have an abundance of talent at the back, with the likes of Dayot Upamecano, Jules Kounde, Lucas Hernandez, William Saliba, Ibrahima Konate, Wesley Fofana and others.
