Former Real Madrid and Manchester United defender Raphael Varane retires from football
The 31-year-old central defender joined the Serie A side this summer as a free agent, but played just 20 minutes for the club in a Coppa Italia match before being substituted off.
The former France international — who was a regular in the 2018 World Cup-winning team — had signed a two-year deal with Como with the option of a further season.
The decorated centre-back is most known for his spell at Real Madrid where he made 360 appearances across 10 seasons. He also played for Manchester United, making 95 appearances across three seasons and helping the club win the Carabao Cup in the 2022-23 season and the FA Cup the following year.
In a social media statement, Varane said ‘all good things must come to an end’ and insisted he had ’no regrets’ over his career.
He began his career at hometown club Lens in France before joining Madrid in 2011, where he won 18 trophies including three La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns.
Varane also enjoyed a distinguished international career, winning the World Cup with France in 2018 and the Nations League three years later while being capped 93 times by his nation.
In August 2023, Varane expressed concerns about the increasing demands on players, stating that football was becoming ‘dangerous’ due to the overcrowded schedule. He highlighted the need for players’ physical and mental well-being to be considered.
In April this year, Varane opened up on suffering concussions in multiple football matches and how his body has been ‘damaged’ by heading during fixtures. He called for limited use of heading the ball during training sessions.
The defender described two incidents where he suffered concussions: during the 2014 World Cup last-16 clash against Nigeria, and in a La Liga match for Real Madrid against Getafe. In both cases, he experienced significant effects from the head impacts.