Raphael Varane has retired from football after suffering a knee injury on his debut with Italian club Como.
The 31-year-old central defender joined the Serie A side this summer after leaving Manchester United 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 — left United at the end of his contract this summer after making 95 appearances across three seasons for the club.
Varane, who is most known for his spell at Real Madrid where he made 360 appearances across 10 seasons, had signed a two-year deal with Como with the option of a further season.
The decorated centre-back joined United from Madrid in the summer of 2021 and helped 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.
The defender said that his achievements and memories gave him “immense pride and a feeling of fulfillment” and that he wanted “to go out strong”, with his penultimate match and final full appearance coming in the successful FA Cup final win for United in May.
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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 said that football was becoming “dangerous” due to the increased scheduled for players.
“From the managers and players, we have shared our concerns for many years now that there are too many games, the schedule is overcrowded, and it’s at a dangerous level for players’ physical and mental well-being,” he said.
“Despite our previous feedback, they have now recommended for next season: longer games, more intensity, and less emotions to be shown by players. We just want to be in good condition on the pitch to give 100% to our club and fans. Why are our opinions not being heard?”
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.
The defender said a lack of understanding around head injuries has proved harmful to him and other footballers, while he has called for limited use of heading the ball during training sessions.
In one example, the former France international said how he suffered a concussion during the 2014 World Cup last-16 clash against Nigeria after the football struck his temple, claiming that he played the rest of the match on “autopilot” mode.
Varane described a similar incident six years later, when he was substituted off for Real Madrid in a La Liga match against Getafe after taking a ball to head, and suffering extreme fatigue for several days after.
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