French defender Raphael Varane, best known for his time with Real Madrid and Manchester United, announced his retirement from professional soccer.
Varane is retiring after he suffered a serious knee injury back in August. He got hurt 20 minutes into his debut for Seria A side Como during a Coppa Italia clash against Sampdoria.
Varane announced his retirement via social media while revealing that he will remain at Como in an undisclosed role.
“For now, to the supporters of every club I played for, to my teammates, coaches, and staff… from the bottom of my heart, thank you for making this journey more special than my wildest dreams could ever foresee. Thank you, football,” Varane wrote on Instagram.
Raphael Varane spent his early career with French club Lens before landing on the radar of Real Madrid, which acquired him in the summer of 2011. After a slow start to his career in Spain, Varane became a starting center-back for Los Blancos in the 2014–15 season, a role he would go on to fill for the next seven seasons.
During his time with Real, Varane made 360 appearances in all competitions while winning 18 trophies, including three La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League trophies.
Varane made a transfer to Manchester United ahead of the 2021–22 season. He spent three underwhelming seasons in the Premier League before leaving the club as a free agent and signing a two-year deal with Como.
