Serial champion Raphael Varane could complete football with victory at Euro 2020

Some footballers are born to be champions.

Raphael Varane is one such footballer.

A personification of the term ‘Rolls Royce defender’, the Frenchman has won every trophy available to him at Real Madrid, not to mention a World Cup with Les Bleus in 2018.

This summer, he intends to complete football by mirroring the efforts of Zinedine Zidane’s France in following up a World Cup triumph with a European Championship chaser.

The 28-year-old’s club coach (and national coach for that matter) won on home soil in 1998 before claiming Euro 2000 when Varane would have just been old enough to understand the magic of football.

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Varane was a class act in Russia three years ago, arguably the best defender on display.

In the knockout stages he seemed to exude an elite imperiousness, something undoubtedly developed during Real Madrid’s run of four Champions League victories in five years, possibly transmitted by Sergio Ramos through osmosis.

Didier Deschamps will need his senior centre-back to be at his best again this summer as he seeks to cement himself as one of the most successful international coaches of the modern era.

Varane is a typically modern centre-back: sleek, athletic, and frighteningly quick when required.

He is not totally faultless, fans will remember his disastrous showing against Man City in the Champions League round of 16 in August of 2020.

His unflappable composure occasionally gives way to carelessness at his worst but such performances as the one at the Etihad are vastly outnumbered by error-free exhibitions.

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In truth, Varane does not need to win Euro 2020 to put his name among the very best centre-backs oh his era – such a legacy is already assured – but those who leave no trophy unclaimed belong to an exclusive group.

Ramos, his partner in crime (almost literally in some cases), has won the lot at international level on top of his mountainous club-level haul.

And such is the depth of talent available to him, Deschamps may be targeting a similar period of dominance as the famous Spain unit of 2008 – 2012.

It’s no wonder Varane is the outright most-expensive defender in Dream Team Euros – the best fantasy football game to accompany this summer’s tournament.

Acquiring the Frenchman will cost £5.5m of your £50million budget, which is a hefty investment for a player in his position.

France were drawn in Euro 2020’s Group of Death alongside Germany, Portugal and Hungary, meaning Varane doesn’t have as favourable fixtures as some of the other premier defensive options.

At this early stage 29.1% of Dream Team Euros gaffers have selected him in their prototype XI, making him the third-most popular defender overall.

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