Posted on December 3, 2021 at 5.30 p.m. by BC updated on December 3, 2021 at 5:34 pm While he joined Manchester United during the last summer transfer window, Raphaël Varane spoke out on his choice to leave Real Madrid, after ten seasons in the Spanish capital. Last summer Raphaël Varane underwent a major career change. While his contract with Real Madrid ran until June 2022, the French international decided not to extend to start a new stage and join Manchester < strong> United , interested for several seasons. The beginnings of Raphaël Varane For the Red Devils, however, are complicated, as the 28-year-old defender has only played 9 games since his arrival due to several physical issues. However, the former Real Madrid executive does not regret his choice and explained himself in an interview with the Telegraph. Four months after his signing at Manchester United , Raphaël Varane made a first assessment of his passage in Premier League , in particular justifying his choice to join a club in difficulty for several seasons. “It's a big challenge. It's a challenge that motivates me, explains the French world champion. I won it all [in Madrid], so maybe I was looking for a different feeling. Defend history. You have to fight for something bigger than yourself. You have to fight for the club, the fans and this story. Its very important. From the outside you can see how the club respects legends, respects history. Now I can feel it inside and know the feeling of being a Manchester United player. Everyone respects everyone and I feel the warmth. I feel that everyone here is equal, there are no differences. “ Raphaël Varane In particular, he admits being impressed by the crowd at Old Trafford, despite his team’s underperformance. “A really good example was the atmosphere at Old Trafford when we lost 2-0 and won the game 3-2 [against Atalanta]. The stadium pushed the team. In all countries it is very different if you lose 2-0 at home, the atmosphere would be very different. That's one of the reasons I came here, because of the different atmosphere, the different feeling in the stadiums. Manchester United are special (for that) and in England it's different compared to other countries in Europe. “ Despite his attachment to Madrid , Raphaël Varane recognizes also a form of weariness in Spain after having won everything at the Merengue: “After winning the Champions League, the fans do not congratulate you. It was 'OK, the next one' after the first one that I won. Four Champions Leagues! And they say to me: “OK, go to the next one”. I just want to say that sometimes you have to take advantage of what you have. It was good ! (…) This is why Madrid is special. It is also because of this special mentality. It's different. This is why I wanted to change, not because I don't like this mentality or because it is bad. It's great, but I just wanted to try something different. “An adventure at Manchester United which could nevertheless have started much earlier, since Sir Alex Fergsuon was close to convince Raphaël Varane and his family to join England in 2011, ahead of the last minute offensive by Zinedine Zidane : “When Fergsuon arrived (at his place), I did not speak English. My mother speaks perfect English, so she spoke with him the most. It was a discussion of how he saw me, how he could have a project with me, and how he could help me grow as a person and a player. It was very, very interesting and a very great experience for me, explains to the Telegraph Varane , ready to join the Red Devils before the Real Madrid does not position itself. Zizou called me and the transfer accelerated very quickly. I went to Madrid, I spoke with [José] Mourinho, I returned to France and then I took the baccalaureate exam the next day when I saw Mourinho. It was a crazy time in my life. I was playing for RC Lens first team and the club knew I had to be sold. So a lot of agents called me. I was very tired because there was a lot to do and think about. When Zizou called me, I was very busy and didn't know it was him at first. When I recognized him, I was in shock. It was crazy, so I asked him to call me back! “Finally, the arrival of Raphaël Varane in Manchester United therefore seemed written … 
“It's a challenge that motivates me”
” I just wanted to try something different “
Mercato | Mercato – Real Madrid: Varane justifies his departure for Manchester United!
