Former Manchester United, Real Madrid and France star Raphael Varane has announced his retirement from football.
Varane, 31, has struggled to stay fit in recent years and suffered a serious knee injury just 20 minutes into his debut for Como last month.
Varane was subsequently left out of Como’s Serie A squad given he’s expected to be sidelined for an extended period of time.
As a result, Le Parisien had previously reported that the 31-year-old was considering a shock retirement.
And now, Varane has called time on his glittering career on Wednesday.
Legendary France defender Raphael Varane, 31, has announced his retirement from football
The former Manchester United star has called time on his glittering career in the game
Varane joined Italian side Como in the summer, but suffered a serious knee injury on his debut
Varane is set to be out for an extended period of time and was left out of Como’s Serie A squad
The World Cup winner joined the newly-promoted Italian side as a free agent over the summer after his contract with Manchester United expired at the end of last season.
He made the move to Italy on a two-year deal – where he linked up with Cesc Fabregas’ side – and joined fellow former Premier League stars Pepe Reina and Alberto Moreno in Como’s squad.
But now, Varane has terminated his contract with the Serie A outfit as he prepares for the next chapter of his life.Â
Varane, who came through the youth ranks at Lens, has played at the top level for 14 years.
After one season in the first team with the Ligue 1 side, the central defender joined Real Madrid in 2011 aged 18.Â
He went on to make 360 appearances for the Spanish giants, winning three La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues and a Copa del Rey, among several other trophies over a decade. Â
The Frenchman moved to United in 2021 and displayed his quality despite being hampered by injuries during his three years at Old Trafford, racking up 95 appearances for the Red Devils.
Varane won the World Cup with France in 2018 and earned 93 caps in total for Les BleusÂ
The French central defender, 31, is best known for his glittering 10 years with Real Madrid
His last game in a United shirt saw him lift the FA Cup as he started the 2-1 victory over Man City at Wembley in May.Â
Varane also shone for France in their 2018 World Cup triumph, with the defender racking up 93 caps in total for Les Bleus before he retired from international duty at the age of 29 in February 2023.
