Manchester United defender Raphael Varane gave a rousing speech at half time during France’s World Cup match against Morocco.
The video has been leaked online and shows the former Real Madrid star lifting his teammates and demanding more of their performances.
France went into the interval 1-0 ahead courtesy of an early goal from Theo Hernandez, however that hardly told the story of the half.
Morocco looked good for an equaliser on several occasions, even hitting the woodwork, as they took control of possession against the heavy favourites.
France saw just 44% of the ball in the first half and failed to build on their lead.
“We lost two or three balls, we started to lower our heads. What is this?” Varane asks in the video.
“Our mindset is not that. We are fighters, first and foremost.
“We fight for each other. Damn it guys! It’s a golden opportunity, don’t start playing it for yourself. It’s a team here. It’s war, guys. We need everyone.”
Raphael Varane’s Half Time team talk vs Morocco.🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/cV1K8fV7XZ
— 𝗧𝗲𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝗴’𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝘀 ✍🏼🇳🇱 (@TenHagBalI) December 20, 2022
While Morocco still saw a lot of the ball in the second half, it seems as though Varane’s worked a treat as the French doubled their lead and saw out the game against spirited opposition.
The Atlas Lions were only able to muster a single shot on target after the break.
Varane’s speech came shortly after French pundit Claude Le Roy criticised the player for lacking in leadership qualities.
It seems Le Roy was somewhat wide of the mark.
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