Former Manchester United defender Raphael Varane has reportedly revealed the conditions players were subjected to during Erik ten Hag’s reign as manager.
Varane said he was shocked that Ten Hag remained in charge after last season because the Dutchman’s “connection with the group no longer existed.”
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In an interview with The Athletic, Varane stated that Ten Hag was constantly “in conflict” with some of the club’s senior players and that he tried to win respect at United “through fear.”
Despite widespread predictions that the former Ajax head coach would be dismissed, United extended his contract by one year after defeating Manchester City in the FA Cup final at the end of the previous campaign.
Ten Hag was eventually fired by the club in October, with current head coach Ruben Amorim replacing him.
Varane, who left United for Italian side Como in the summer, told The Athletic:
“I was surprised he [Ten Hag] stayed. The connection with the group no longer existed.”
Varane added that his relationship with Ten Hag was “a bit idiosyncratic,” saying:“It’s hard to find the right words. 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.
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“We had a robust discussion. We told each other some truths but then I didn’t play for almost two months. 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 were not at all satisfied. It was not good in terms of the relationship with the coach.”
By Habeeb Kuranga