Raphaël Varane was in a press conference this Thursday afternoon at Clairefontaine. The Real Madrid defender has not escaped questions about the return to the French team of his friend and club partner Karim Benzema, whose last selection dates back more than five years. He is delighted to find the striker with the tricolor jersey.
Are you happy with Karim Benzema’s return and have you played a role in his return?
RAPHAËL VARANE. Of course I am very happy with Karim’s return. For five, six years, I had been in a difficult position. I was asked questions about him. On the one hand I had my friend, and on the other the coach, to whom I owe all my selections. I am very happy with his return and I think that is the case for a lot of us. This is only positive. I played no role, I learned as you did his selection during the announcement.
Did Benzema regularly ask you questions about the Blues?
Karim has always had the France team in his heart. He was watching our games, what was going on. He has always been attentive to the life of the group.
Was he worried about how his return to Clairefontaine would be?
He was enthusiastic, excited to play in a great competition with a young team, which has a lot of talent. He wants to help the collective, to have fun in the field.
With Benzema, is it the guarantee to have more spectacle on the ground?
One of Karim’s greatest qualities is to make others play, to create movement, to create spaces. This is what is expected of him, to play his game. He comes to do what he knows how to do, to have fun, to defend the jersey of the France team. Of course, when a player with his qualities arrives, we all want to see great football and chances. But Karim is above all a team player. That’s what makes his strength, that’s what we love about him.
Can his arrival in the collective upset the balance of the team?
I do not think so. The objective to be efficient will be to find the right balance between our offensive power and our defensive strength. We have complementary players who have shown that they know how to play well together. It will be up to us to find the right balance, it is never easy. Especially since it will be necessary to be efficient immediately, the preparation matches will be important. Group balance will be the priority, and Karim is a team player. The important thing will be to do things together.
Were you surprised by the choice of Didier Deschamps, and did you think it was over between him and Benzema?
For me, the situation had been frozen for some time, I had no particular expectations.
We learned of the departure of Zinédine Zidane from Real Madrid. Do you worry about the future of club merengue, and did you know?
My first reaction is already a lot of pride (Editor’s note: to have been trained by Zidane). He picked me up in Lens to sign in Madrid. I learned a lot from him. He is a very human coach, a source of inspiration for me and many players who have worked with him. It’s a bit special for me that he’s leaving, it is for a whole generation of players in Madrid. I was able to exchange quickly with him and I hope that the rest will be good. He’s a great coach and a great person.
PODCAST. Karim Benzema: legend of Real, pariah of the Blues, why his return fascinates
Will you still be at Real Madrid next season?
Now is not the time to talk about my future. I am focused on the selection, on this Euro.
Can this transfer window influence the preparation of the Blues?
I think each case is different. We are all human beings, so obviously we can think about it. But for my personal case, I am focused on the objectives in the France team, that’s clear. I will not discuss this subject every day in my room at Clairefontaine. Everything in its time. If I have to talk about it, it will be with the people concerned, but during the competition, I am in competition mode.
What do you think of Youssoupha’s song, composed to accompany the Blues at the Euro, which found itself at the heart of a controversy?
It’s a song that I like. We can always look for subjects that divide but at Clairefontaine, it is not a subject.
