“A career in comedy awaits”, “Pass me some of what he’s smoking” - Fans troll Manchester United star as he claims Red Devils can win UCL this season
Manchester United defender Raphael Varane has come under fire from fans for his optimistic remarks regarding the club's chances in the UEFA Champions League this season. While Varane contends that the Red Devils possess a squad capable of lifting the European trophy, fans have responded with outright mockery.
Manchester United, historically one of the giants of European football, have won the prestigious Champions League on just three occasions. Since their 2011 final loss to Barcelona, the club's European journey has been marked by an evident decline; they have moved past the knockout stage a mere twice.
Notably, the 2011 final also remains the last time the club progressed beyond the quarter-finals of the competition.
Raphael Varane chose to sign with Real Madrid over United that year, a decision that saw him amass four Champions League titles with the Spanish side. Nevertheless, Varane sounded a confident note in a recent press conference ahead of United's first group-stage home game against Galatasaray,
When questioned about United's capabilities, he told reporters (via Manchester Evening News):
"Yes. I think so. I think the qualities in the squad, as I say, that competition is difficult, you have to take care of every detail but we have a team with quality, with a good mentality. Yeah, we have to make some improvements, it's not the start of the season we expected but I still believe we have the quality to compete with the best teams in the world."
He added:
"I think we have the quality in the squad to play and to win that competition but we have to improve and tomorrow is a great opportunity to get the first points in the competition, to move forward and improve."
This wave of optimism from Varane did not sit well with a vocal section of the fan base. Taking to social media platforms like Twitter, fans unleashed a barrage of sarcastic comments, mocking the French international:
Manchester United prepare to face Galatasaray in Champions League outing
The Red Devils will face Galatasaray in a crucial Champions League group-stage match at Old Trafford on Tuesday night (October 3). The side are currently navigating a particularly rocky patch, having lost five of their opening nine games across all competitions in the season.
This run includes four losses in their first seven Premier League outings, marking their worst start to a domestic season in over three decades. A 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at the weekend has left Manchester United languishing in 10th place in the league table. They have picked up just nine points from seven matches.
Even back-to-back victories against Burnley and Palace in the league and EFL Cup were preceded by a stinging 4-3 defeat to Bayern Munich in their Champions League opener.
The loss to Bayern has already put Manchester United on the back foot in Group A, adding concerns to their upcoming clash with Galatasaray.