Lisandro Martinez felt it was 'really important' to embrace his Manchester United teammate Raphael Varane after the Frenchman suffered the disappointment of losing the World Cup final against Argentina in Qatar last month.
Argentina defeated France on penalties in the final of the World Cup after a dramatic game, which could not be decided across normal time and extra time, with the scores level at 3-3 after 120 minutes, which brought penalties.
It was a memorable final and a match that guaranteed a World Cup winner from the United squad, but it was Martinez, not Varane, who lifted the trophy, although that didn't stop the pair from sharing a hug on the pitch after the full-time whistle.
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Martinez went straight to Varane after the penalties and he embraced his teammate, in a classy, heartwarming moment. The pair have now returned to Manchester and Martinez has explained why he approached Varane for the embrace.
"It was really, really important," Martinez told Sky Sports about the moment. "We've only known each other a short time at United but we get on really, really well and there's a real mutual respect and feeling between us.
"It's like we've known each other for years. He was my opponent, but that's football. One team has to win, and won team has to lose, but I think it's important to recognise that. There's a mutual love and respect between us.
"We shared that hug and it was important because football is like that. What happens on the pitch, stays on the pitch, but what happens off it is just as important and relationships like that count."
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