Real Madrid Icon Varane Retires After Spell with Como

Raphael Varane is retiring from football a few months after joining Como on a free transfer. The Frenchman had already stepped away from the team and headed to Madrid, where he resides, a couple of weeks after suffering a knee injury.

Coach Cesc Fabregas later announced it was a serious but not a massive one, an MCL tear. It which generally requires four to six weeks to heal. On the other hand, the gaffer hinted that they weren’t sure the veteran would come back due to the mental blow and the overall toll on his body accumulated over the years.

Como protected themselves from potentially losing Varane by signing another starting-caliber center-back, Marc Oliver Kempf from Herta Berlin, near the end of the window. Like a few players with a past in Spain, he was swayed into joining the Lariani by the former Barcelona legend and the relatively large salaries handed out by their rich ownership.

The 31-year-old got his start at Lens and spent the heyday of his career at Real Madrid. He transferred to Manchester United after ten years in the Spanish capital. He lifted four La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues, and four Club World Cups with Los Blancos. Instead, he wasn’t as successful with the Red Devils. He often struggled to stay healthy and play consistently.

Varane hangs his cleats after just a 23-minute appearance in the Coppa Italia with Como. He racked up 93 caps with France, winning the World Cup in 2018 and the Nations League in 2021.