Raphael Varane suffered concussions in multiple football matches and spoke about how his body was “damaged” by headers during the match.
The Manchester United defender believes a lack of understanding of head injuries is detrimental to himself and other footballers, but has called for restrictions on heading the ball during training.
In an interview with L'Equipe, Varane outlined the specific incident that led to his concussion during the games against France and Real Madrid, and the impact it had on his performance in subsequent matches.
The 30-year-old said he suffered a concussion when a football hit him in the temple during the 2014 World Cup round-of-16 match between France and Nigeria, and claimed he played the rest of the match in “autopilot” mode.
“If someone had spoken to me at that time, I don't even know if I would have responded,” Varane said. “I don't remember the game after this incident.''
He described losing his appetite, becoming dehydrated, and losing weight. However, these symptoms were not enough to stop them from hoping to play against Germany in the quarter-finals.
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Varane said he was unable to give his all for the game, which France lost 1-0, but said he did not speak publicly about the experience for 10 years because he “didn't want to sound like an excuse”. explained.
He added: “What we will never know is what would have happened if I had received another blow to the head.'' Knowing that repeated concussions can have fatal effects, And…well, back then I wasn't very family-oriented. But now that I have three kids, I think differently.”
Varane recounted a similar incident six years later, when he was substituted against Real Madrid after receiving a ball on the head in a La Liga game against Getafe and suffering from exhaustion for several days afterwards.
His next match was in the return leg of the Champions League last 16 against Manchester City. The central defender felt unwell during the warm-up and explained that during the match he “felt like a spectator.” He had an off night and made a mistake in the build-up to go for two goals in the 2-1 loss.
Varane had Real Madrid's worst performance against Man City in 2020 (Ricardo Nogueira/Eurasia Sports Images/Getty Images)
Varane said he had never been told about microconcussions (gradual head impacts that cause concussions) until this season, when Manchester United players were advised not to head the ball more than 10 times in training. He said there wasn't.
However, this caution cannot be replicated in a live match situation. Varane acknowledged that he could still be prejudiced if he said he was “tired” after repeating the motions of his head.
He added that limiting heading in training is an important step, but also urged children not to use it. He has a 7-year-old son who plays soccer and advises him not to head the ball.
Manchester United return to action on Thursday with a trip to Chelsea.
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(Michael Regan/Getty Images)
