French central defender Raphael Varane is someone who really knows Cristiano Ronaldo well, having played with him at both Manchester United and Real Madrid. The center back admitted that the current drama surrounding Ronaldo is of course affecting the club, and that the team was ready to accept whatever decision the club is ready to make on the 37-year-old’s future.
“Obviously it affects us,” said Varane to French radio station Europe1 (h/t ESPN).
“We follow what is happening and what is being said. We try to calm the situation in our own way, we try not to get too involved in it. What is happening in the media in the big clubs is gaining momentum. When it’s a star like Ronaldo, even more, so we try to take it with distance, that is to say that we do not try to change the situation alone, we are part of a collective.”
In an interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo lashed out at his manager Erik ten Hag, the Glazer family ownership, and just the club itself. The Portugal national team camp maintains that this Ronaldo soap opera will not adversely affect them. It is not certain how much, or even if, Varane will play at this World Cup, due to injury. Nevertheless he is with the current reigning champions right now preparing for France’s first match, Tue Nov 22 against Australia.
Last season, there were a lot of whispers about Ronaldo causing chaos and division in the United dressing room. The club dismissed all of it as rumors and hearsay, but now the drama and discord is all being played out, right in front of our own eyes. Basically, the quiet part is now being said out loud, very loudly, over and over again.
United said they will do a fact-finding mission before they decide what to do with Ronaldo.
“What I want is the best for my team, so whatever the decision, as players, we’ll accept it and give the best of ourselves,” Raphael Varane added.
It is very hard to imagine a way back for Ronaldo at this point though. You just can’t put that toothpaste back in the tube.
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Paul M. Banks is the Owner/Manager of The Sports Bank and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly contributed to WGN News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.