Sport

Raphaël Varane set to leave Manchester United at the end of the season

The veteran has struggled with fitness problems ever since arriving in Manchester

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 14th May 2024

Manchester United have confirmed that defender Raphaël Varane will be leaving the club at the end of this season.

The Man United star and World Cup winner has had a largely injury-laden time in Manchester, with both he and the club agreeing that he will depart Old Trafford on a free after his contract expires this summer.

Having turned 31 in April and already retiring from international football last year in an effort to extend his career, the centre-back who won multiple titles with Real Madrid in Spain and four Champions Leagues will likely move somewhere less physically demanding than the English top-flight.

Sharing a heartfelt video message, the Frenchman thanks the supporters for an “amazing few years”, admitting, “I fell in love with the fans and the club” and adding that you can’t fully understand what it means to them until you play for them.

Varane bids a fond farewell after he confirms he will be leaving United this summer.

Going on to insist that Manchester will always be a first home for his kids and that sharing the Carabao Cup final with his teammates and Red and all the travelling fans will always be a “special memory”, it’s evident that he took the club fully into his heart.

ADVERTISEMENT

Varane joined United back in 2021 on a deal worth around £41 million, going on to make 93 appearances and helping them lift their major trophy in six years last season.

Even with multiple injury setbacks, he still managed to play 67 games in the Premier League, 58 from the start, and even grabbing a couple of goals to boot.

ADVERTISEMENT

Describing him as bringing a “great deal of class and experience”, “unflappable work at the heart of the defence” and “undoubted quality in just three short years”, the club were full of gratitude and well wishes for the rest of his career. You only have to see this clip to see the kind of relationship he had with United:

Read more:

With just a trio of potential games left to play for United – Wednesday’s last home game against Newcastle, their final league match against Brighton on Sunday and the FA Cup final against Manchester City – all parties will be hoping he can sign off his time wearing Red in style.

Varane has been sidelined with his latest issue (a muscle strain) since early April, but it goes without saying that having arguably their best and most experienced defender fit for a crucial Manchester derby would be a huge boost to the United, who have racked up a laundry list of injuries all over the pitch.

ADVERTISEMENT

Rapha signed off by saying that he’s looking forward to saying a formal goodbye to the club tomorrow night, confessing: “It’s going to be a very emotional day for me, for sure”.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Manchester United (via IG)/Raphaël Varane (via X)/United Foundation

Sport

Salford City FC debut 24/25 away kit as Fireball Whisky is revealed as new front-of-shirt sponsor

Danny Jones Danny Jones

Salford City FC has officially revealed its new shirt sponsor for the coming seasons as globally-known North American whisky brand Fireball is set to be splashed on the front of their home and away kits.

While Salford City‘s home kit for the 2024/25 season is still yet to be revealed, the away have now been debuted in line with Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey being announced as the Ammies’ latest commercial collaboration, which is said to be a “first-of-its-kind deal” for both parties.

The multi-year agreement will see the spicy cinnamon-infused whisky liqueur feature as the main sponsor on Salford shirts for the next three seasons as part of a “360-degree partnership”.

Confirming the front-of-shirt deal on Friday, 5 July, the two brands will also team up on “various touchpoints including broadcast and news media, custom social and digital content, in-store, and on-field branding experiences” on and off the pitch.

It’s the Canadian alcohol brand’s first foray into English football and a landmark moment for the Greater Manchester club which has been looking to expand its commercial portfolio and generate more revenue.

This comes since the Class of 92 group and co-owner Peter Lim opened the club to the floor for new investors earlier this year, with the club’s progress having slowed somewhat after they were promoted four times in five seasons following their 2014 takeover.

Fireball will replace nationwide property development and funding company, Salboy – which many Mancs will likely recognise from various bits of construction across the city centre and beyond – who served as Salford’s shirt sponsor for just one season to kick off their first year with Adidas as manufacturers.

The 40-year-old brand can be found in most alcohol aisles in the UK and is shipped all over the world, making the partnership a huge deal for the local outfit, not to mention just the latest in a series of global drinks companies sponsoring clubs – e.g. Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation Gin on Wrexham kits and Red Bull partnering with Leeds United earlier this month.

Here’s how Salford’s new away strip looks:

Read more:

Commenting on the new kit deal, Salford City CEO and Manchester United legend Nicky Butt said: “We are excited to welcome Fireball as our men’s team front of shirt sponsor for the next three years, and we are really looking forward to working with them.

“Salford has a rich history of being creative and doing things in our way, so when this opportunity to partner with Fireball came about and we saw how they have made an impression on their sector, it resonated with us and the journey we have been on since taking over a decade ago.”

Lorenzo Farronato, Fireball’s European Marketing Director added: “Football is a game all about shots – taking them and making them is what the game is all about. So, as the number one shot brand in the USA, Fireball was inspired to enter the game but knew we needed to do it right.

“Fireball’s partnership with SCFC is a match made in heaven – just like our brand, Salford believes in working hard, playing hard and having a ton of fun every step of the way.  We share similarly dedicated fanbases, too, and can’t wait to deliver unexpected moments of mischief and celebration to them all season long.”

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Salford City (via X)/m01229 (via Flickr)

Sport

Jude Bellingham given suspended one-match ban and fine for ‘inappropriate’ gesture

Danny Jones Danny Jones Jude Bellingham given one match ban for inappropriate gesture during Slovakia celebration

England and Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham has been handed a suspended one-match ban after making a gesture towards the Slovakia fans following the Three Lions’ last-gasp win in the round of 16 of Euro 2024.

Bellingham scored what has already gone down as one of the greatest England goals of all time to equalise against their first knockout opponents of the tournament to put them through to the quarter-final stage.

However, it was his celebrations in the immediate aftermath following the goal that got him into a little bit of trouble, as a small gesture towards his genitals has seen the Madrid midfielder pick up a fine and a one-match ban that he will thankfully he doesn’t have to serve any suspension immediately.

ln case you missed it, this is the moment in question, as reshared by the player himself:

As you can see, Bellingham shrugged off the gesture as nothing more than an “inside joke towards some friends” who were in attendance inside Gelsenkirchen’s Veltins-Arena and clearly wasn’t willing to indulge any suggestion that he meant any offence despite the crude gesture.

Regardless, UEFA’s ethics and disciplinary body, unfortunately, hasn’t seen it that way; they stated that he violated “the basic rules of decent conduct” with the celebration, being slapped with a €30,000 fine (approximately £25k) and the match ban.

They did go on to explain that the ban is “subject to a probationary period of one year, starting from the date of the present decision”, meaning that it will only have to be served if the 21-year-old re-offends in the next 12 months.

A big relief for England supporters after he helped keep them in the game with his second goal in a competition where Gareth Southgate‘s side has still struggled to really get going.

Read more:

While Bellingham will be available for Saturday’s match against Switzerland, another player received a harsher punishment for his reaction following a goal at this year’s Euros.

Turkey defender Merih Demiral has been handed a straight two-match ban for a politically associated gesture he made during his side’s previous win, doing the wolf salute celebration after the second goal of his brace against Austria.

The gesture is linked to the far-right Grey Wolves extremist group, who are also closely linked with Turkey’s ruling coalition National Movement Party. Bellingham’s behaviour pales in comparison when sized up against potentially inflammatory instances like this.

Meanwhile, back in the England camp, there is another member of the squad who Three Lions fans will be hoping can make an impact in upcoming games – we can only hope.

England fans are calling for Southgate to finally start Luke Shaw following Trippier’s injury doubts

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — @343_digital (via X)/England (via Instagram)

More Sport

News

Phil Foden says he ‘feels sorry’ for Gareth Southgate and England players have to take blame

Business

Manchester United set to make up to 250 staff redundant in cost-cutting move

AO confirmed as Altrincham FC's new front of shirt sponsor

Business

AO announced as new front-of-shirt sponsor for Altrincham FC

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches