Former Real Madrid defender Raphaël Varane has addressed the impact of suffering multiple concussions during his career has had on life.
In an interview with L’Equipe, the Manchester United player revealed the he has played multiple games for both club country, while dealing with the effects of head injuries. The Frenchman, who retired from international football in February 2023, told the French outlet that he got concussed in his country’s 2014 World Cup round-of-16 match against Nigeria and suggested that he finished the game on “autopilot”.
Concussion has impacted the 30-year-old this season as well and has forced him to withdraw from Man United fixtures this season. As reported by L’Equipe, Varane has spoken out on his experiences of dealing with concussion related injuries, as he attempts to raise awareness on the underrepresented issue in modern day football.
He said: “The first time I heard about [micro-concussions] was this season when specialists came in to talk to us about it. Often, as a player, we don’t understand and we don’t even think about doing a test. Earlier this season, I headed the ball repeatedly during a match for Man United and felt abnormally tired in the following days, as well as having some eye fatigue.
“I reported it to the staff who strongly recommended that I don’t play, and I took a test which meant that I missed the next match.As footballers playing at the highest level, we are used to pain, we are a bit like soldiers, tough guys, symbols of physical strength, but these symptoms are almost invisible.If your leg hurts and you limp, everyone sees it.
“But with head injuries, it immediately feels weak to say that you are tired, that you have migraines or eye fatigue, so at first, we tell ourselves that it will pass.My seven-year-old son plays football, and I advise him not to header the ball.Even if it does not cause immediate trauma, we know that in the long term, repeated shocks are likely to have harmful effects. I don’t know if I will live to be 100, but I know that I have damaged my body.”
