Players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Scott McTominay and Christian Eriksen paid tribute to Raphael Varane by reacting to the Instagram post in which he announced his retirement from football on Wednesday morning.
The defender, who won the World Cup with France in 2018, decided to end his football career just two months after joining Cesc Fabregas’ team Como in order to “retire strong and not just hold on to the game,” as he posted on his social media channels.
From Cristiano Ronaldo to current Napoli midfielder McTominay, both of whom played with Varane at Real Madrid and Manchester United respectively, many players left comments under the former defender’s post to express their affection.
“A football legend”: Cristiano Ronaldo, McTominay and others react to Varane’s retirement
After winning the Champions League four times for Real Madrid alongside Raphael Varane, Cristiano Ronaldo congratulated his former teammate with a heartfelt message: “A great career and a football legend! Congratulations on everything, my brother, I hope to see you soon.”
Napoli player McTominay, who also played with Varane at Manchester United, expressed a similar view: “Legend Rapha 🙌🏼 good luck on stage ❤️,” he wrote.
The list of players who have reacted to Varane’s resignation also includes some current and former Serie A stars such as Christian Eriksen, Alvaro Morata and Marcus Thuram, as well as other former teammates such as Marcelo and Jadon Sancho.
“It’s a pleasure to work with you brother. You are a great mentor, a friend and above all a great person! Enjoy your new journey Rapha! ❤️,” Sancho wrote.
Marcelo also called him a “legend”, while Manchester United’s Luke Shaw wrote: “What a career you’ve had. It’s been a pleasure playing with you. Legend.”
In his message, Eriksen wished Varane “all the best for the future”, similar to Alvaro Morata, who wrote: “Congratulations on your career and all the best for the future.”
