Varane cites player overwork as reason for retiring from French national team

Manchester United defender Raphael Varane opened up on his decision to retire from international duty for France at the age of 29. In February, Varane announced his retirement from international football citing the "suffocating" schedule as his reason. He further revealed that players are overworked, and the situation might get worse. Varane expressed his concern that the players' careers might become much shorter, and they may have to give up playing for their country much earlier than expected due to the physical and mental toll of the game. According to Varane, what the players are being asked to do today is simply beyond limits.[/p]

Varane said, "The calendar is already more than full, the players are overworked, and it will get even worse. I'm afraid that we will witness much shorter careers, and that players will have to give up the France team very early because, physically or mentally, what we are asking for today is simply beyond limits. The fact that I announced the end of my international career and not having hidden the reasons, that resonated with many players."

Varane won 93 caps for France and was part of the team that won the World Cup in 2018. He is the 13th top appearance maker in France's history. The Manchester United defender's comments echo those of Belgium and Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who claimed in a recent interview that players are treated like "robots" given the hectic football schedule. Varane also pointed out that even the international players who play in Europe and never stop go through periods of poor form lasting several months or get injured. The young players who start in the France team and have played in the World Cup are going to have to make a lot of sacrifices if they want to stay on top for ten years, and it might be harder than what Varane experienced.