Manchester United's Raphael Varane urges to teach young footballers about dangers of heading

Raphael Varane recalls two matches where he played with a concussion

Manchester United and former France defender Raphael Varane says that concussions have damaged his body and stresses spreading awareness among youngsters about the dangers of heading.

“My seven-year-old son plays football and I advise him not to head the ball. For me, that’s essential,” Varane told L’Equipe.

“Even if it doesn’t cause any immediate trauma, we know that in the long term, repeated shocks can have harmful effects. Personally, I don’t know if I’ll live to be 100, but I do know that I’ve damaged my body. The dangers of headers need to be taught on all amateur football pitches and to young people.”

Raphael Varane cited two matches where he played despite being concussed. The first match was France’s 1-0 defeat to Germany in the FIFA World Cup 2014 quarter-finals. Another incident was while playing for Real Madrid against Manchester City in 2020.

The centre-back said he put himself at risk by playing against Germany in 2014, having been hit on the head in a last-16 match against Nigeria a few days before.

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“I finished the [Nigeria] match but I was in ‘autopilot’ mode,” he said. “The staff wondered if I was fit [to play Germany]. I was weakened, but ultimately I played and rather well. What we’ll never know is what would have happened if I had taken another knock to the head.”

“As footballers used to playing at the highest level, we are accustomed to pain, we are a bit like soldiers, tough guys, symbols of physical strength, but these [concussions] are symptoms which are quite invisible.”

There are reports with evidence suggesting that repetitive heading of balls during a professional career is associated with a higher risk of cognitive impairment in later life.

The International Football Association Board in March said additional permanent concussion substitutions will be enshrined in football’s laws but it remains an option which is up to organisers of individual competitions to implement.

“No matter how much the player says he wants to play, the medical staff have to veto it, because it puts players’ lives at risk,” Varane said. “We also have to make the player understand that it’s not showing his strength to continue playing after a serious injury, but that the real strength lies in getting out, stopping playing and resting. This can be difficult for a top-level athlete to take on board.”

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