Raphael Varane says that former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag used “fear” and “conflict” to manage his playing squad.
In an interview with The Athletic, the 31-year-old expressed his surprise revealed he was surprised the Dutchman was given a new deal at the end of last season. “The connection with the group no longer existed,” he claimed.
Varane, who left the club last summer before retiring late last year, also described his relationship with Ten Hag as “a bit idiosyncratic” and “complicated”.
“It’s hard to find the right words,” he said. “It was very tense at times. Sometimes he made an effort to listen to the players’ feedback. Sometimes he made decisions without listening to the players’ feelings. So there were ups and downs. It was complicated at times.”
Varane was a regular starter in Ten Hag’s first season at Man Utd, but was dropped for “tactical reasons” between October and mid-December of the following campaign. The pair had a “robust discussion”, but the head coach never explained the reason for his decision to the player.
“We told each other some truths, but then I didn’t play for almost two months,” Varane said.
