Former World Cup manager Claude Le Roy has harshly criticized Manchester United defender Raphael Varane after France succumbed to a 1-0 defeat against Tunisia in Qatar.
The center-back did not enjoy the best of games against the Carthage Eagles and was to blame for Wahbi Khazri’s goal.
And the man who guided Cameroon to their second Africa Cup of Nations title was unimpressed with Varane’s performance, believing it to be a symptom of a general lack of authority on the part of the defender.
“He is not a leader,” Le Roy said live on L’Equipe du soir (Quotes via Sport.fr).
“I never thought that he was a player with such charisma as to train others. Against Tunisia he played a neutral, bad game, with a catastrophic recovery.
“It’s a match where it doesn’t weigh anything because it stayed at the same level as the others. He’s someone who needs higher level players alongside him to raise his level. He’s not a coach, he’s a coach.”
Man United fans will certainly see such criticism as harsh given their performances at Old Trafford this season.
Varane has been crucial in the Red Devils’ defense and his experience was invaluable to their defense before his injury against Chelsea in October.
He has forged a fantastic partnership with the summer signing of Lisandro Martinez, who could become the foundation of a successful United in the near future.
But having quickly returned from injury to make it to the World Cup, the former Real Madrid defender is well aware that he is a little lacking in fitness at the moment.
“Inevitably, I’m still not at 100% of my physical potential,” he said during the France press conference last weekend. “I worked hard to be here and I look forward to getting stronger during this competition.”
With France facing Poland in the first round of the round of 16, Varane will need to step up his game if he is to keep FC Barcelona star Robert Lewandowski quiet.
The match will take place at 3pm on Sunday and should be an intriguing matchup despite the fact that the French are heavy favourites.
