The Frenchman spent three seasons at Man United after a £42M move from Real Madrid but was forced into an early retirement months after his Old Trafford exit. He had a complicated relationship with the Dutch coach which he reveals led him to an unexplained spell on the sidelines. Speaking to The Athletic, Varane admitted that this came after a heated argument between the two that led to his exile.
“It’s hard to find the right words. It was very tense at times. Sometimes he made an effort to listen to the players’ feedback. Sometimes he made decisions without listening to the players’ feelings. So there were ups and downs. It was complicated at times.
“We had a robust discussion,” he said. “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.”
Ten Hag retained his job after a standout last game in the FA Cup final win over City but Varane believes this was a mistake by the club as the relationship between the players and the manager was severed to a point of no return.
“The connection with the group no longer existed.”