Varane: I played many games with concussiona and am suffering from early CTE

Basically stating that he put the game before his health for many years and he's paying the consequences now. Also represents that football does a poor job compared to other sports with understanding health impacts and taking preventative measures.

"I've damaged my body over the years. I hope that the long-term effects can be rectified for the sake of my family."

Article here: https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Article/Raphael-varane-j-ai-abime-mon-corps/1458158

I wouldn't say football does a poor job in comparison to others. That's the nature and risk in sports, and a lot of athletes in many sports have similar stories. I mean you can look at basketball and pull some names of people with similar and even worse stories. You can look at boxing, NFL, even wwf that isn't a sport, the number of deaths in there.

I get his overall point, he isn't wrong, I can't remember who but I know a footballer has talked about headers and its effects on him (I think it was a German player). Sounds cold but sadly that's the risk with any sport. I mean you can't take headers out of the game. The club's medics have to assess players which most do.

Also its up to players to know when to shut it down. You know your body better than most. Players not shutting off to rehabilitate is also another constant issue in all sports. People's bodies are different, someone like bierhoff who seemed to only score headers maybe there's some technique he had.

The point Varane was making is that he knew that he had concussions but wanted to play in the big games. The staffs also knew that he had concussions... but they left it up to him to decide.

Varane wishes that these important medical decisions were completely taken out of the hands of players because they don't know any better.

I've always thought about this, how much brain damage do footballers get from constantly heading the ball.

Like CB's, who have to head every long ball or clearance, and those ball come from far away and with momentum that they have to reverse with a header as strong as possible.

This is the first time I hear someone talking about it in football.

Interesting how it’s not talked about in football. I transitioned to boxing as a young adult from footy and it’s obviously a huge concern in the boxing community, but despite the fact that you’re heading the ball for 90 minutes, you’re also having awkward falls where the back of your head can potentially hit the ground, or a goalkeeper punching you in the head while clearing the ball. Obviously it’s not as bad as boxing or combat sports but it’s definitely underplayed. I had teammates get consecutive concussions when I was younger and yeah it did mostly happen to the CB’s

Its not surprising that repeatedly bashing your head against the ball - or anything for that matter - is not good for your brain.

I can't imagine the game without headers but i guess they could treat it like they do handballs; in many youth leagues headers are banned already.

It is indeed interesting how this has never really been a topic of debate in the community. Good on Varane to speak out

Could we foresee footballers wearing a sort of helmets in the near future to avoid such predicament? I can see some concern over it but at this point it still feels like Varane but might be stretching it. He is well known to be injury prone on every level.

I wonder if the evolution of the balls has helped or made the situation worse.  Back when I played, the Adidas Tango Espana and then Mundial leather synthetic mix balls were it.  They were heavy, but soft.  Bigger too.  The ball literally went 50% as fast as it does now and it was hard to bend... definitely could not knuckle the ball.  Much easier to predict as a defender (and goalkeeper obviously).

sportsczy wrote:I wonder if the evolution of the balls has helped or made the situation worse.  Back when I played, the Adidas Tango Espana and then Mundial leather balls were it.  They were heavy, but soft.  Bigger too.  The ball literally went 50% as fast as it does now and it was hard to bend... definitely could not knuckle the ball.  Much easier to predict as a defender (and goalkeeper obviously).

It has definitely gone better over the 20 years. The most hardcore balls were manufactured during of the 90s to early 2000s imho. You needed a feet made of stone to kick those balls.

I wonder what he would say if you offered him to not play as many important games any more but keep his health. Is winning the CL "worth it" for him? Would he do it again?

Something like a concussion protocol could be used in football. I imagine the PL would be the first to introduce something like that.

Good shout on the Adidas Tango Espana aka the greatest ball of all time by a mile. I'd kill to play a game of futbol that one again.

These days balls are more like Petrol station balls so far more velocity and unpredictability therefore more force against what is a delicate part of the human anatomy.

Well done by Rafa to bring that awareness.

Arquitecto wrote:Good shout on the Adidas Tango Espana aka the greatest ball of all time by a mile. I'd kill to play a game of futbol that one again.

These days balls are more like Petrol station balls so far more velocity and unpredictability therefore more force against what is a delicate part of the human anatomy.

Well done by Rafa to bring that awareness.

They had two editions of the Espana. The "winter" one was much better. The original one... i was constantly gluing it back together as pieces would fall off lol.

It was the first ball that was a leather and synthetic mix so water didn't ruin it. Great ball.