Manchester United and France defender Raphael Varane has backed his teammate Cristiano Ronaldo following the uncertainty surrounding his future at Old Trafford.
The France international does not agree with the notion that Man United will be stronger without Cristiano Ronaldo as people say that he makes them weak.
According to Raphael Varane, the Portuguese hitman is a legend for both club and country.
Cristiano Ronaldo who joined Manchester United last season for his second stint at the club finished the season with 24 goals in all competitions.
However, he was still one of the most criticized players at Old Trafford after the team finished with their lowest-ever points tally in the Premier League.
According to multiple reports, the 37-year-old is pushing for a transfer away from Man United as they failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League competition, but his former teammate at Real Madrid Raphael Varane believes that he would continue to play for them in Man United next season.
Many supporters claimed that the five times Ballon d’Or winner is always reluctant to press high up the pitch and it was one of their major problems last season. They believe that Erik ten Hag’s style of play will be implemented successfully without Cristiano Ronaldo.
“Cristiano is a great competitor, he’s a legend” – Raphael Varane on Ronaldo & suggestions he hindered #MUFC last season rather than helped pic.twitter.com/KxhqJ2PKY9
— Simon Peach (@SimonPeach) July 21, 2022
While speaking during an interview with BBC Sports on the club’s pre-season tour of the United States Raphael Varane said: “That the debate was outside of the dressing room. “We know his quality. And we know he’s very famous. So we know a lot of people will speak about the performance of the team and his performance. “Cristiano is a great competitor. He’s a legend and he always helps the team, so obviously it’s very good to play with him.”
Meanwhile, current Manchester United captain Harry Maguire was also heavily criticized last season for his constant poor performances and mistakes. This raised rumors of Cristiano Ronaldo trying to take away the captain’s armband from him but new head coach Erik ten Hag has announced that Harry Maguire will continue to captain the squad.
Although Maguire was booed during their last pre-season game against Crystal Palace, Raphael Varane remains behind his captain. According to the French international, competition is good for the team and Harry Maguire is a very important player for the team because he’s a captain with good qualities.
Raphael Varane who partners with Harry Maguire in the defense area joined Manchester United last season after spending 10 years at Real Madrid. However, his departure prevented him from getting his fifth UEFA Champions League medal as Real Madrid won the competition last season. But the Frenchman has revealed that he doesn’t regret missing out on an opportunity to win the prestigious title again.
