Raphael Varane STUNS France by ‘RETIRING from international duty’

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Raphael Varane has shocked France by announcing his retirement from international football, despite being touted as their next captain.

The Manchester United star was a key figure in helping Les Bleus lift the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and has also made 93 appearances for his country in the past decade.

His retirement continues to mark the end of an era for Les Bleus, after Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris also announced his retirement from international duty last month.

France intended to award Varane the captain’s armband instead of Lloris, but In a statement on Twitter, the Manchester United defender has quickly put an end to those plans.

With the retirements of two seasoned figures within the camp, Receive French football news They have reported that Kylian Mbappe is expected to be named as the next France captain.

Raphael Varane has announced his retirement from international football at the age of 29

Varane was expected to replace Hugo Lloris (right) as France’s new captain

Varane’s withdrawal is reduced to the The ‘physical and mental wear and tear’ he has suffered from his hectic gaming schedule, as well as wanting to spend more time with his family.

In his statement, alongside a picture of him holding the World Cup trophy, he wrote: “Representing our great country for a decade has been one of the greatest honors of my life. Every time I wore this very special blue jersey, I felt immense pride.

The duty to give everything, to play with your heart and to win every time we enter the field. I have been considering this for several months and have decided that the time is right for me to retire from international football.

‘As a child, I remember following France 98, this team, these players who made us experience indescribable emotions. I dreamed of doing like our heroes, and 20 years later, I had one of the best experiences of my life, one that made me very proud.

We brought the Cup home!! I will never forget. I still feel every single emotion I felt that day, July 15, 2018. It was one of the greatest and most memorable moments of my life.

‘This victory that we achieved together would never have been possible without the support of Didier Deschamps, of each of the members of the management and of our staff during these years, of my teammates who defended our shirt in each of our matches. .

‘But more importantly, this victory would not have been possible without the support of each and every one of you along this path. Your enthusiasm, the celebrations and the memories of our return to France will remain in my mind forever.

‘Even after losing in the final last year, on a great run, we were greeted like heroes when we came back. To each and every one of you, a thousand times THANK YOU!

Kylian Mbappé is now in line to take the captain’s armband with Varane and Lloris retiring

‘Sure I will miss these moments with you, but the time has come for the new generation to take over. We have a group of talented young players who are ready to take over, who deserve a chance and who need you.’

The coach of France, Didier Deschamps, in his own statements revealed that Varane called him a few days ago to explain his decision.

He praised Varane as a ‘smart kid’ and recalled how the defender quickly became a regular for his team as a youngster at Real Madrid.

After breaking the news, Deschamps said: ‘Raphael believes he has come to the end of his adventure with the France team. I experienced a situation somewhat similar to his, I understand his arguments and I respect his decision, even though it seems regrettable in view of everything he was able to do with the national team until the World Cup in which he behaved, from start to finish, like the leader we know.

He added: ‘Raphael, who was then a budding young talent at Real Madrid, was in my first for the friendly match against Uruguay in Le Havre. He quickly established himself as a starter. I especially remember his authority during the comeback playoff against Ukraine in 2013. A first high-level performance.

‘The first of a long list. If I did not hesitate to entrust him with the bracelet at 21, it is because he was already showing leadership in the group in his own way and with the others. “Rapha” was an effective replacement, one of the guarantors of the collective and its values.

After Blaise Matuidi, Steve Mandanda and Hugo Lloris, Raphaël is the fourth world champion of 2018 to retire internationally. As our paths diverge, he wanted to salute his honesty, his unwavering commitment to the blue jersey.

‘Raphael has played a pivotal role on and off the pitch over the past decade. I had the great pleasure of coaching him and I know this is the case for all my staff as well. I wish him the best possible development and happiness.’

Didier Deschamps (R) revealed that Varane called him a few days ago to explain his decision.

Both Varane and Lloris started in the World Cup final in Qatar, where France came close to retaining the trophy after a loss on penalties to Argentina.

Varane made his senior debut for France in a win over Georgia in March 2013 during a 2014 World Cup qualifier.

He quickly became a starter for Les Bleus, although a thigh injury kept him out of Euro 2016.

He played every minute of the World Cup two years later, scoring the first goal in the quarterfinal win over Uruguay.

Varane became the fourth player to win the World Cup and the Champions League in the same year Christian Karembu (1998), Roberto Carlos (2002) and Sami Khedira (2014).

He also helped France win the Nations League in 2021, where they beat Spain 2-1 in the final.

His retirement would be a big boost for Manchester United as the defender will get a chance to rest during the international holiday.

United have shown an improvement in defense this season thanks to Varane’s association with summer signing Lisandro Martinez.

The news would be a boost for Manchester United with Varane who will have more free time

Varane missed 13 games through injury last season but has been absent from just three United matchday teams in the league so far this season.

The defender and Lloris are not the only players to announce their retirement from international service since the World Cup.

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has announced that he will no longer represent his country after he was ruled out of the tournament with injury.

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