Manchester United defender Raphael Varane has revealed that he decided to retire from international football as he was struggling to cope with the 'overloaded schedule'.
The French centre-back announced his retirement from international football on Thursday, despite having featured in the recent World Cup and still being one of his country's best defenders. He calls time on his France career having made 93 appearances and being part of the side that won the World Cup in 2018.
His announcement came as a major surprise, especially with both Hugo Lloris and Karim Benzema having also retired from international duty in recent weeks. However, Varane has since opened up on how consistently playing at the highest level has taken its toll on him, which ultimately led to him taking the difficult decision to stop playing for his country.
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During an interview with Canal+, that is due to be released in full on Sunday, the United defender suggested that he felt like he was 'suffocating' amid the intense fixture schedule.
"I gave everything, physically and mentally," he said. "But the very highest level is like a washing machine, you play all the time and you never stop. We have overloaded schedules and play non-stop. Right now, I feel like I’m suffocating and that [Varane] the player is gobbling up [Varane] the man."
Many suggested that Varane was in pole position to become the new France captain after Lloris retired from international duty last month, but after famously winning the World Cup in 2018 and Nations League in 2021, he opted to focus on club football.
The 29-year-old played every minute at the 2018 World Cup as Les Bleus lifted the trophy for the second time in their history, and also played a vital role in Didier Deschamps' side reaching the final of the recent tournament in Qatar.
His decision to retire from international football came as a surprise to France manager Deschamps, but he was keen to thank the defender for his 'unwavering commitment to the blue jersey'. Meanwhile, Reds boss Erik ten Hag suggested that it was "good news" for United.
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