Rafael Varan | Photo: Michael Regan/Getty Images
Defender of the English Premier League club Manchester United, Raphael Varane, revealed in an interview with the newspaper “L’Equipe” that hitting the ball with his head has affected his health.
The 30-year-old Frenchman, who ended his career with the national team last year, recalled several games in his career in which it was head shots that affected his well-being. As an example, Varane cited the 2014 World Cup, where he suffered a concussion in the round of 16 match against Nigeria. Four days later, he took the field in the 1/4 final match against Germany.
“I finished the game against Nigeria, but I felt like I was on autopilot. If someone spoke to me at that time, I don’t know if I was able to answer, because I don’t remember anything from that game after the incident,” said Varan, mentioning that his eyes got tired very quickly. “The staff then wondered if I would be able to go on the field. I felt weaker, but I wasn’t going to miss the World Cup quarter-finals because I was a little tired. In the end I played pretty well, but looking back, I’ve been thinking – if I had known it was a concussion, would I have been prepared to miss the match? We will never know what would have happened if I had received another blow to the head…”
Varane revealed that he only learned about the so-called micro-concussions this season, which has led him to be more cautious as well. “We had doctors coming to us in Manchester telling us about it. Before that, I wouldn’t even think of doing tests, but this season I hit my head in one of the matches and the next few days I felt really tired. I reported this to the staff who strongly advised me not to play. I took tests and missed the next game,” said Varans.
“My son is seven years old, he also plays football, and I advise him not to hit the ball with his head. This is very important to me. Even if it doesn’t cause immediate injury, we know that in the long term, repeated impacts can have harmful effects. Personally, I don’t know if I’ll live to be 100, but I know I’ve ruined my health. The dangers of kicking must be taught at all levels, including amateurs and youngsters,” emphasized the French footballer.
