Varane claims Ten Hag managed Man Utd through ‘fear’ and ‘conflict’

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·19 February 2025

Varane claims Ten Hag managed Man Utd through ‘fear’ and ‘conflict’

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.

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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.

Read – Man Utd spent over £14m sacking Ten Hag and Ashworth

“I said I didn’t agree with certain ways of doing things regarding the relationship between him and the team. It wasn’t something that I thought was good for the team because some of the players weren’t at all satisfied. It was not good in terms of the relationship with the coach.

“He said ‘okay, I hear what you said’ and after that I didn’t play.”

Varane: Ten Hag managed Man Utd through ‘fear’ and ‘conflict’

Although Varane does not believe it was the case with him, he claims that Ten Hag wished to make examples of players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho. He believes the manager “wanted to gain respect through fear, perhaps.”

“He always needed an example of a player who was alone the entire time he was at Manchester. He did that with at least one important player on the team. He was always in conflict with certain leaders of the group. That is his way of managing.”

Varane, though, does describe his time at Old Trafford as a positive experience overall. “I have so much respect and love for the club that I can only be positive,” he said.

“Even when I say things that aren’t going well, it’s well-intentioned and constructive. It’s not to point the finger at someone. I only wish the club well and hope they succeed.”

Read – Casemiro keen to stay at Man United despite exit talk