Former Manchester United and Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane has opened up on his ‘tense’ and ‘complicated’ relationship with former Red Devils’ boss Erik ten Hag and has admitted he was surprised ETH stayed that long in the dugout since the relationship with the players was so bad.In an interview with The Athletic, Varane recalled a “robust” discussion with Ten Hag that led to his removal from the squad between October and December 2023.”We had a robust discussion,” said the Frenchman, who played for United between 2021 and 2024. “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. 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.”🚨🚨🎙️| Raphael Varane on Erik ten Hag staying on as manager:“I was surprised he stayed. The connection with the team NO longer existed.” pic.twitter.com/ooXD4zSoyd— centredevils. (@centredevils) February 19, 2025 Varane also revealed that Ten Hag entirely lost contact with the players after the FA Cup final win over Manchester City in May 2024.”I was surprised he stayed. The connection with the group no longer existed.”Varane did not feel Ten Hag was making an example of him as he did with Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho.”I believe he wanted to gain respect through fear, perhaps. Ten Hag always needed an example of a player who was alone the entire time he was at Manchester. He did that with at least one important player on the team. He was always in conflict with certain leaders of the group. That is his way of managing.”##NAJAVA_MECA_8720402##Comparing his time at Old Trafford with years spent at the Santiago Bernabeu, the former Les Bleus defender points out key differences.”Even from the inside as a player, there wasn’t a clear structure on how things were going to work. There hasn’t been a fixed methodology for years. 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.”It’s not one person’s responsibility. That’s the problem – we don’t even know whose fault it is. It has to be in the overall structure of the organisation. There were too many people involved in the decision-making process, so we didn’t know who was really making the decisions. I can’t say who was responsible, I don’t know. It was a bit of everyone and a bit of no one.”Red Devils don’t want him—they want to earn from himVarane used the structuring of a squad as an example of the clubs’ differing approaches.”At Madrid, you can see that for years, there has been a framework. A player is added, some leave, but there is always a solid foundation. When you recruit young, talented players, they have to learn before they can play. It gives them time to develop. When I arrived at the age of 18, I had no responsibilities in the dressing room. I was just there to learn.”At United, they can recruit a very expensive young player and immediately play him, with all the responsibilities in an extremely difficult league. He’s got a huge weight on his shoulders straight away,” concluded Varane.##NAJAVA_MECA_8720176##
