Manchester United's Raphael Varane slams new rules and accuses FA of ignoring players' concerns

Manchester United defender Raphael Varane has slammed new rules brought in to football for this season onwards and been backed in his stance by Rio Ferdinand.

Officiating changes have been brought into the English game this season in a bid to clamp down on perceived issues in the game. Early experiences have shown they they are set to have quite an impact on United and the rest of the English football pyramid.

Clampdowns are being enforced by officials with yellow cards handed out more readily as a result for certain offences. This includes players being booked for kicking the ball away after a foul has been given, and managers also potentially being penalised for dropping below standards expected on-field and in the technical area.

This has already been demonstrated with players booked in the Community Shield between Arsenal and Manchester City for kicking the ball away after a foul has been awarded. Gunners boss Mikel Arteta was also booked for gesturing to the officials that a yellow card ought to have been awarded.

Games are also set to last longer as the exact time lost due to stoppages will now be added on at the end of matches, in a bid to deter time-wasting. Games lasting more than 100 minutes could now become the norm with more time added on, with all but two games in the English Football League (EFL) opening weekend going beyond this.

Varane said a meeting was held with the FA last week, where new rules were recommended to referees to exercise this season. The United defender criticised the changes which have come in and believes they are "damaging" the game.

He believes players' views have not been heard on the changes and feels the schedule is already overcrowded and that these new rules will not help the