Raphael Varane, Real Madrid's French central defender, focused on the Champions League quarter-final match against Liverpool with the utmost motivation, stating that “the more difficult the challenge, “the more you enjoy it. “My style of play does not suggest that I am a warrior. However, I admit that I have a warrior mentality. I really like challenges. The more difficult the challenge, the more I enjoy it. The less people believe in me, the more motivated I am. That is my way of being and thinking, and that is what has helped me to reach the highest level and to stay there for several years, “he reflected in an interview with UEFA.
“For me, pressure is a friend, it is a driving force, it makes you better. It gives you adrenaline and helps you think faster, be more focused and live the game more intensely. Scary pressure should motivate you as you run faster when scared“he added.
After winning four 'Champions' with Real Madrid and the last World Cup with France as great achievements of his career, Varane has ambition to achieve more and remembers the bad moments to motivate himself. “Soccer has ups and downs, but when you are at the top you have to remember your difficult moments. You have to think, We have suffered, we have gone through difficult times and we have had to fight to get here, “he said.
Varane recalled his childhood to find the beginning of his competitiveness and the continuous desire to progress. “It is something natural and innate that then develops through any experience. In my case, it was the daily challenge of trying to beat my older brother to reach their level and improve. I cried if I didn't meet my goals. So that pressure to win and outperform has been on me since I was a child, and it will stay with me for a lifetime. “