Raphaël Varane Surprised at Manchester United’s Decision to Extend Erik ten Hag’s Contract

Former Manchester United defender Raphaël Varane has revealed his surprise at the club’s decision to offer manager Erik ten Hag a new contract last summer, despite the Dutchman’s fractured relationship with the squad. In an interview with The Athletic, the World Cup winner, whose time at Old Trafford coincided with Ten Hag’s two full seasons at the club, spoke candidly about the complex dynamics between the manager and his players.

“I was surprised he stayed,” Varane said. “The connection with the group no longer existed.”

Ten Hag, who guided United to Carabao Cup and FA Cup victories during his tenure, was offered a one-year extension on his deal following the club’s dire 2023-24 season, which saw them finish 8th in the Premier League. However, just four months later, he was dismissed after a dismal start to the following campaign, with United winning just four of their first 13 games.

Varane, who shared a complicated relationship with Ten Hag, found himself relegated to a bench role for a significant portion of the 2023-24 season, despite being a first-choice centre-back in the Dutchman’s inaugural year at the club. The former Real Madrid defender revealed that he wasn’t provided with any explanation for his demotion.

“We had a robust discussion. We told each other some truths, but then I didn’t play for almost two months. I said I didn’t agree with certain ways of doing things regarding the relationship between him and the team,” Varane explained. “It wasn’t something that I thought was good for the team because some of the players weren’t at all satisfied. It was not good in terms of the relationship with the coach. He said ‘OK, I hear what you said’ and after that I didn’t play.”

Varane also suggested that conflict was a fundamental aspect of Ten Hag’s management style, citing the manager’s tense relationships with Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho as examples.

Despite fighting off competition and injuries towards the end of the 2023-24 season and playing a crucial role in United’s FA Cup final victory over Manchester City, Varane’s future at the club remained uncertain. When the time came to discuss the option in his contract to extend his stay at Old Trafford for another year, the defender realized that he and the club were not on the same page.

“I didn’t know who the coach would be. I didn’t know if they wanted to change the squad a lot or not. I had no visibility, so it’s difficult to commit when you don’t know exactly what you’re committing to,” Varane said.

The Frenchman also highlighted the differences between the organizational structures at Real Madrid and Manchester United, stating, “At Madrid, they have a defined way of doing things at every level of the club. At Manchester [United], it was not clear or defined enough to know how to recruit, how to play, how to communicate. There weren’t the same procedures, processes, structure.”

Varane ultimately joined Serie A side Como on a free transfer, but his career was cut short when he announced his retirement from football at the age of 31, just 20 minutes into his debut, following a serious knee injury.