Raphaël Varane joined Manchester United after a decade-old glittering stint at Real Madrid, where he amassed great number of titles and trophies.
Here are some informative facts about the Frenchman.
1. He is of Martiniquais heritage.
Raphaël Varane’s father, Gaston Varane, originates from the town Le Morne-Rouge which is in the overseas department of Martinique, an island which is an integral part of the French Republic. Through his father, Varane is of the Martiniquias descent. Co-incidentally, legendary footballers Thierry Henry and Eric Abidal also come from this region.
His mother, Annie Varane, on the other-hand is from the commune or region of Saint-Amand-les-Eaux, which is at the north of France on the Scarpe river.
Ultimately, Varane was born and raised in the city of Lille, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, the northern most region of France.
2. He Started out with Rugby
A little-known fact about the 28-year-old is that rugby was his first sport before he found his love and interest in ‘the beautiful game’.
Due to his tall stature and built, it is very likely that Varane could have been successful in the sport, but his father had stated that he did not ‘like’ it and hence switched to football and never looked back since.
On occasion, his father said that he did not have to force his son to go for training as Raphaël always enjoyed it. Concentration being his ‘strong point’, he loved to work hard.
3. One of The Most Expensive Defenders in The World
Proving himself on the pitch, it is an obvious fact that the Frenchman would be in the list of the top 10 expensive defenders in the world.
With Manchester United signing him for a deal worth 50 million euros with a contract that lasts till 2025, according to goal.com Raphaël Varane finds himself placed 10th on the list of the Top 10 Most Expensive Centre-Backs of All Time.
When Real Madrid had signed him back in 2011, when Jose Mourinho held the reins, it was reported that Varane had been signed by the Spanish giants for approximately 10 million euros.
The leap by 40 million euros proves how much Varane’s value has increased since his commendable spell at Los Blancos.
4. He Takes His Education Very Seriously!
Back in 2011, when he was at RC Lens, he had caught the attention of all the major clubs, with the likes of Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint Germain.
It was then that his compatriot and acclaimed footballer and manager, Zinedine Zidane had him called up to tell him to choose Real Madrid at his next abode. But apparently, Zizou had picked the wrong time to make the call, as 18-year-old Varane was busy preparing for his baccalaureate exams and couldn’t be bothered to be interrupted.
Speaking to Foot Mercato, he said that, as he was in the process of revising his baccalaureate, the phone kept ringing for his future transfer.
He went on to say, “At eighteen, you don’t necessarily have the experience to handle this kind of situation. Among all the calls, there was that of Zizou who wanted to talk to me about the interests of Real.”
As the young man didn’t immediately recognize the voice at the other end of the call, he didn’t reciprocate much and without thinking much about it, told the 1998 World Cup Winner to call him back later!
5. Youngest Player Ever to Captain the French National Team
He made his debut at the international level in 2013 against Georgia in a friendly match.
Just a year later, on 14th October 2014, at the age of 21, Varane became the youngest ever player to captain Les Bleus.
An international friendly match against Armenia, Varane took over the captain’s role from Blaise Matuidi in the second half of the match and also scored the winning goal.
He ultimately led Didier Deschamps’ side to a 3-0 victory over the Armenians.
6. He Has a Broken Record Held by the Legendary Paulo Maldini!
Joining Real Madrid at the age of 18, Varane had already won 3 UEFA Champions League titles with Los Blancos, namely in 2014, 2016 and 2017, at the age of 24.
This resulted in him breaking the record for winning the UCL title thrice at 24 years of age that was previously held by the Italian defender and AC Milan captain Paulo Maldini who was 25 when he set the record in 1994.
7. An Amazon Prime Documentary dedicated to him
In 2019, Amazon Prime produced a series on the life of Raphael Varane, named Raphael Varane: Destin du Champion (Champion’s Fate).
It mainly revolves around the athlete’s progressive journey and evolution in football. From joining the French club, RC Lens, to having his big break in football at Santiago Bernabéu.
It also highlights his triumph at the 2018 FIFA World Cup with the French football team.
The documentary sheds light on Varane’s personal and professional life and exhibits his humble and discreet personality despite the high-profile life he leads.
8. He Has Received Knighthood from The French Republic
On winning the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Raphael Varane along with his French teammates were bestowed upon the highest order of merit that given by the country to a French national, Knight of The Legion of Honour. The ceremony was held at the Elysee Palace in Paris where French president, Emmanuel Macron did the honours.
France won the 2018 World Cup Final against Croatia with the final score being 4-2. Varane was an eminent player on the pitch and played every minute of the game.
9. A Cabinet Full of Glittering Trophies
Being a productive team-player, he has won various tournaments, most of his prominent victories being with the Spanish giants Real Madrid.
His commendable spell at Madrid saw him amass a length of titles and trophies ranging from 4 UEFA Champions League titles (2013-14, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18) to 4 FIFA Club World Cup trophies (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018)
Additionally, he has won 3 La Liga titles, 1 Copa del Rey, 3 Supercopa de España and 3 UEFA Super Cup tournaments.
On an international level, he has won the 2018 FIFA World Cup and he recently won the 2021 UEFA Nations League too with the French national team.
On an individual level, he had been added in the 2018 UEFA Team of the Year, 2017-18 UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season, 2018 FIFA World Cup Fantasy Team and the 2018 FIFA World Cup Dream Team.
He was also part of the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) Men’s World Team in 2018.
10. A Player of Fair-Play
Though many defenders gain the reputation of being aggressive on the pitch and get sent off with a card, Varane has comparatively steered clear of that stereotype.
Though many defenders gain the reputation of being aggressive on the pitch and get sent off with a card, Varane has comparatively steered clear of that stereotype.
At Real Madrid, Varane received only 24 bookings in 360 appearances.
He was shown his first red card in 2016 when he played against Athletic Bilbao, which was the result of a double booking. When asked about it on Real Madrid TV via FotMob, he seemed upset and said that he always wants to play clean and does not play to hurt people.
He said that even though he respected the referees he believed that the decisions they took were not fair.
The second red card came in 2019, when he was directly sent off the pitch in a match against Espanyol.
11. A Family-Oriented Man
Varane is married to his high-school sweetheart and long-time partner Camille Tytgat, who happens to be a law graduate. They have two children together, a boy named Ruben, whom they welcomed in 2018 and a daughter named Anaïs who was born last year on 25th October.
12. He Has Three Siblings
Varane has two brothers, Jonathan and Anthony Varane and one sister, Annabelle Varane.
Annabelle competed the Miss France 2019 pageant where she represented her region, Nord-Pas-de-Calais.
Younger brother Jonathan is following is his brother’s footsteps in football. The 20-year-old joined RC Lens on 1st July 2021, where he plays as a central mid-fielder. He has signed a contract with the French club till 30th June, 2024.
Anthony Varane operates as his brother’s (Raphael) agent and manager.
13. Net Worth and Salary
As of 2021, the Frenchman is said to have a net worth of approximately $20 million (USD) and is reported to earn a yearly salary of £12.5 million at Manchester United.
14. Endorsements
Other than earning from his professional career, he also endorses a few brands as well.
Some clothing and sports brands that he endorses are Puma and Boss. He formerly endorsed reputed sports brand Nike too.
It is reported that he earns around 8-10 million euros every year from these endorsements.
15. A Collection of Classy Cars
Like most athletes, Rapheal Varane has kept his garage well stocked with a range of sports cars. Some of car he owns include the Jaguar F Pace, the Jaguar XE and the Audi A7.
