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Manchester United star Raphael Varane responded to the claim he would not have retired from France duty if Zinedine Zidane had been manager.
Last week Varane announced his international retirement at the age of 29, despite having been tipped to inherit the captaincy from Hugo Lloris.
The centre-back - who has won 93 caps - was part of the side that swept to the World Cup trophy in Russia in 2018.
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In a candid interview with Canal+, Varane revealed that his decision to retire was influenced by football’s “overloaded schedule.”
The United star claimed: “I gave everything, physically and mentally, but the very highest level is like a washing machine, you play all the time and you never stop.
“We have overloaded schedules and play non-stop. Right now, I feel like I'm suffocating and that [Varane] the player is gobbling up [Varane] the man.”
However, there had been suggestions in France that Varane would not have retired from international football so prematurely if Zidane, his former Real Madrid boss, had become manager of Les Bleus.
Varane responds to Zidane claims
Varane admitted that even if another coach such as Zidane was in charge of the national side instead of Didier Deschamps, it wouldn’t have altered his decision.
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When asked by Canal+ if the appointment of another manager would have changed his position, Varane replied, “No, it wouldn’t have changed anything."
The United defender added that his decision to retire at the age of 29 was a “personal decision”.
He admitted: “It has nothing to do with off-pitch matters, whether it be the other players and their international careers, the extension of the manager’s contract, or what is going on at the moment at the federation.
“It has nothing to do with a decision that was personal.”
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Football, France, Zinedine Zidane, Didier Deschamps, Raphael Varane, Manchester United