Raphael Varane, who plays as a midfielder for Manchester United, believes that the team is now strong enough to win the Champions League this year.
“I think the most important thing in the Champions League is the details, and you have to play effectively to win this tournament,” Varane remarked on October 2 during a news conference before the match against Galatasaray in round two of Group A of the Champions League. This match was the second round of competition for the group.
The most recent of Manchester United’s three victories in the European Cup/Champions League came in 2008, when famous coach Sir Alex Ferguson was at the helm. After 120 minutes of regulation time, the final score between Manchester United and Chelsea was 1-1; nevertheless, United went on to win 6-5 on penalties.
The most significant victory, however, came in 1999 when Manchester United won the “historic treble,” which consisted of the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the Champions League. At that time, the “Red Devils” won the Champions League final at Camp Nou with a 2-1 victory over Bayern courtesy to two goals scored in injury time by Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. In the 1967-1968 season, Manchester United was victorious in the continental championship for the very last time.
This year, Manchester United will compete in the Champions League alongside Bayern Munich, Copenhagen, and Galatasaray in Group A. The team led by Erik ten Hag and played their first game at Bayern Stadium, where they were defeated 3-4.
When asked about the likelihood of Manchester United winning the Cup in front of their supporters at Wembley Stadium on June 1, 2024, Varane responded, “I think it’s possible.” The match is scheduled to take place on that date. As I just mentioned, competing in the Champions League is quite challenging. Although it is necessary to pay attention to every detail, Manchester United possesses a good mentality and a quality team, but they must continue to get better. Although we have not started the season as well as we had hoped, I feel that Manchester United possesses enough talent to compete with the best teams in the world.
Last weekend’s loss to Crystal Palace at Old Trafford in the Premier League was not a good sign for Manchester United’s next encounter against Galatasaray since it affected the team’s momentum. The 1-3 loss to Brighton on September 16 marked the first time since losing to Liverpool and Man City in October and November 2021 – both of which were played at Old Trafford – that Manchester United had suffered two consecutive home defeats in the Premier League. At long last, under the tutelage of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The “Red Devils” are currently in 10th place with nine points, having scored seven goals but allowing 11 goals against them for a goal differential of minus four. This is now Man United’s poorest start through seven rounds in the English National Championship since they won seven points through the first seven matches of the 1989-1990 season. This is the worst start for Man Utd in the English National Championship since they won seven points through the first seven matches.
If Manchester United are going to be successful in winning big trophies, they need to enhance their ability to capitalize on opportunities, as stated by Varane. The 30-year-old midfielder acknowledged that younger players, such as Alejandro Garnacho, Hannibal Mejbri, or rookie Rasmus Hojlund, add great vitality to the team, but he stressed the need of continuing to learn from the more experienced players on the squad. Varane thinks that today’s match against Galatasay is an excellent opportunity for the squad to acquire their first points in the Champions League, which would boost motivation and allow them to continue to make progress.
Varane moved from Real Madrid to Manchester United in the summer of 2021 for a transfer fee of 59 million US dollars. He also earned a weekly salary of 413,000 US dollars, which was only slightly less than Cristiano Ronaldo and David De Gea, two players who had previously played for Old Trafford. In 69 games across all competitions, the French midfielder has played for Manchester United and contributed to three goals and one assist.
Prior to that, Varane played at Real Madrid for seven years, during which time he won four Champions Leagues, three La Liga titles, two King’s Cups, three Spanish Super Cups, three European Super Cups, and four FIFA Club World Cups. He also won two Spanish Super Cups and two European Super Cups. In addition, he was an integral part of the French team that triumphed in the 2018 World Cup.