Raphael Varane says his sending off in the win over Athletic Bilbao at the weekend wasn’t fair and he would never intend to hurt anyone.
The defender received his marching orders seven minutes from time after picking up two yellow cards. The second of his offences was an innocuous looking challenge when him and Bilbao striker Aduriz challenge in the air for a high ball.
Speaking after the game, the France defender said the decision to send him off did not make sense.
“I always play fair, I don’t play to hurt the opponent. Neither of the incidents deserved a yellow card. I respect the refereeing team but it wasn’t fair. I jump to play the ball and I get above him. I don’t intend to hit the opponent,” he commented.
Looking at the challenges ahead, the centre back admitted it was good for the team to get the win to take some continuity into the Champions League when they play Roma on Wednesday.
He stated: “The most important thing is that the team has responded well and put in a good performance against a difficult opposition. We need this continuity and we want to fight until the end. It’s important to win at home, we have to continue on this path. The Champions League is very important and we want to fight for both competitions.”
