Exceptional guest from Europe 1, Raphaël Varane confided in the frantic pace of a season started without physical preparation because of the coronavirus.

The defender also speaks about the next matches in Blue, in particular the qualifiers for the World Cup-2022.

INTERVIEW

The regular season, the Champions League with Real Madrid, and now three qualifying matches for the World Cup-2022 in the jersey of the Blues ... This year is "very busy", admits Raphaël Varane, exceptional guest of Europe 1 Monday , two days before the kick-off of France-Ukraine.

Because of the Covid, "we started later, without physical preparation and we go through the matches, there is really a frantic pace", summarizes this discreet monument of the France team who has already played this season 7 matches in Blue and 36 under the Madrid colors. 

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A grueling season 

"We are often used to comparing physical preparation with filling up with gasoline to last the whole season. So it's true that it's a season where we will have to pay close attention to recovery and care, because with the sequence of matches and the fact of not having had physical preparation we see that there are many more injured, "said the 27-year-old central defender.

"But this is the most important time of the year, this is where everything is played, in club or in selection." 

And so that his players are at their best in the midst of a pandemic, Didier Deschamps has already warned the workforce: not a single gap will be tolerated in the health bubble set up at Clairefontaine from Monday evening.

"It is true that with the health restrictions it is very strict", confirms the number 4 of the Blues.

"We are lucky to be able to find the France team, so we adapt. We do PCR tests almost every day, we know that we must be careful, take care of ourselves and our loved ones."

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The double World Cup-Euro in the sights

But Raphaël Varane assures him: against Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Bosnia, the Blues will give their maximum, before embarking on the preparation for Euro 2021. The competition has indeed been postponed due to pandemic and will be played out in the summer in 12 European cities.

A tournament with a goal in sight: the double World Cup-Euro, as the "black-white-beur" generation of Zinédine Zidane did in his time, in 1998 and 2000. 

"We hope [to achieve the goal]" blows the defender.

"As soon as we start a competition, it is with the ambition to win it. I had the chance to experience that with the 2018 World Cup and I hope to be able to relive strong moments like that and bring this joy to the supporters. "

Especially since Raphaël Varane does not hide and believes that the Blues are part of "teams that can go far" during this Euro 2021. "But we know the difficulty and the requirement of the international level", qualifies the player.

A competition that promises to be tough, France being in Group F with Hungary, Portugal, and Germany.

"Very good teams" against which the Blues will not have a warm-up lap.

"We will have to be very efficient right away."

And this at the end of a grueling season.