Varane Reveals Mourinho Once Called Him ‘Useless’ at Real Madrid

Former Real Madrid defender Raphaël Varane has opened up about a tough moment in his early career, revealing that José Mourinho once called him ‘useless’ during their time together at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Varane, who joined Los Blancos from Lens in 2011, was just a teenager when he arrived in Madrid and had to earn his place in a star-studded squad. While speaking with The Bridge, the Frenchman recalled how Mourinho’s brutal honesty pushed him to improve.

“When I arrived, he [Mourinho] told me: ‘I only want one thing—that for an hour and a half every day, you give everything. The rest, don’t worry, you will progress, I will take care of it, relax.’”

Varane explained that he had a solid first season but felt under pressure in his second campaign. Mourinho noticed his struggles and delivered a harsh but motivational wake-up call.

“He’s someone I really respect. He is charismatic, and he said to me straight out, ‘But why are you useless?’ I looked at him, stunned, because he had actually just stung me.”

Feeling overwhelmed, Varane told Mourinho he was struggling with limited game time and a tough start to the season. However, Mourinho’s tough love approach ended up shaping the Frenchman’s career, pushing him to grow into one of the world’s best defenders.

Opinion: Mourinho’s Tough Love Worked

Mourinho is known for his direct and demanding coaching style, often pushing young players to their limits. While his approach doesn’t work for everyone, Varane clearly benefited from it. Instead of crumbling under criticism, he responded by developing into a key figure in Madrid’s golden era.

Varane’s 18 trophies with Real Madrid, including four Champions League titles, are proof that he took Mourinho’s challenge the right way. Not every young player can handle such a demanding mentor, but for Varane, it was a defining moment in his journey to greatness.