Raphael Varane has expressed his surprise at Erik ten Hag being offered a new contract at Manchester United, stating that the Dutchman had lost his connection with the team. Ten Hag signed a one-year extension after leading United to victory in the FA Cup final against Manchester City. However, he was sacked in October due to a poor start to the season, with Ruben Amorim taking over as manager.
Varane, who has since retired and joined Como, was part of the squad during Ten Hag’s tenure. However, his relationship with the former Ajax boss was complicated, similar to Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho, as he spent long periods on the bench last season.
“We had a strong discussion,” Varane told the Athletic. “We were honest with each other, but then I didn’t play for almost two months. I disagreed with certain aspects of his approach to the team’s relationship. It wasn’t good for the team because some players were not satisfied. The relationship with the coach was not good.”
Varane expressed surprise that Ten Hag remained in charge, as he felt the connection with the group no longer existed.
In addition, Varane was also surprised by Marcus Rashford’s loan move to Aston Villa for the rest of the season. However, he believes it is a positive step for Rashford, who expressed a desire for a new challenge after falling out of favor under Amorim.
Rashford scored in Amorim’s first match in charge against Ipswich Town but was dropped for the Manchester derby in mid-December and did not feature again.
“It’s very difficult to stay for so many years with such intensity and demands, especially when the overall atmosphere is often negative due to below-par performances,” Varane commented. “For him to change his environment is positive. He loves the club and gives everything for the shirt.”
However, Varane admitted surprise that Rashford chose a club so close to Manchester for his loan move, expecting him to go further away.
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