Varane credits Mourinho for launching Real Madrid's glory era and discusses his future at Como

The former Real defender sat down for an extensive interview with L'Equipe this week following his retirement announcement at Como earlier this month.

"I was looking for something special and so I found the Como," said Varane. "After the preseason, my family was coming to Italy, but when I was injured on July 11, I knew immediately that it was all over. I sprained my left knee. If my left knee tells me she's fed up, I have to listen to her. In the last three years I have only been injured there ."

Varane arrived at Real Madrid at the age of 18, an express request from Mourinho.

"I did everything a little faster than the others. I was lucky to come to a club that gives young people time to learn at a very high level and physically mature. What they have done for years, with me, Valverde, Vinicius or Rodrygo, it is exceptional. All major clubs should copy Real Madrid."

Of his coaches, Real Madrid says it was Mourinho who brought him with a call when he was atLens, and that it was Zinedine Zidane who took the club to its golden age.

"José Mourinho started something huge. (Carlo) Ancelotti managed to convert it, and then we had the golden generation at its peak, with Zizou to the front. Mou called me from Lens to sign for Madrid. I learned a lot from him, although we did not always agree on everything. He understands the players very well, he has always defended them, he has always assumed difficult moments."

On retirement, Varane said: "I will join the Como development committee. I still have something to contribute to soccer and that allows me to see another side of it. Being a high-level athlete is much more complicated than people think. I was lucky to be surrounded by good people, but it was still very, very difficult."