Raphael Varane has disclosed that he experienced concussions while playing in some of the most important games of his career. This season, he withdrew from a Manchester United game due to identical symptoms.
The 30-year-old French defender claimed to L’Equipe that he suffered “eye fatigue” from a blоw to the head and was still able to participate in his nation’s 2014 World Cup quarterfinal loss to Germany.
Additionally, Varane attributed his horrific performance in Real Madrid’s second leg Champions League last-16 loss to Manchester City on a concussion, acknowledging that he ‘felt like a spectator’.He told the French sports journal that he had to miss a United match this season due to concussion symptoms, saying that he felt both abnormally tired and severely tired in his eyes after performing a series of headers during the game.
“I informed the staff that I wasn’t well enough to play, and they strongly advised against it.” I had a medical test, the findings of which I gave to the staff, and I didn’t play in the next game.
Manchester United defender Raphael Varane has admitted to playing in huge games while suffering the effects of concussion – and has pulled out of matches this season
The central defender is at heightened rιsk of concussion problems given the number of balls he is required to head away
Varane said he is now more cautious about playing after suffering blows to the head in an interview with the French newspaper L’Equipe. “But if I hadn’t asked to take these tests, I probably would have been lined up a few days later and, to be honest, I felt bad that I didn’t play the next game because of a migraine,” Varane said.
Speaking out to raise awareness of the potentially deadly repercussions of playing while suffering from concussion symptoms, Varane discussed two key games during his storied career in which he participated when he definitely shouldn’t have.
He began the following game against Germany after suffering a blоw to the temple during France’s 2014 World Cup last-16 encounter against Nigeria, which caused him to play the rest of the game “in autopilot mode.”
“I was a little tired, but I wasn’t going to miss a World Cup quarterfinal,” he said.
“My eyes were tired.” In retrospect, I ask myself if I would have disclosed the ιnjury, even if it meant missing this game, if I had realized it was a concussion.
“The staff questioned my suitability.” I lost this duel against [Mats] Hummels [for Germany’s winning goal], but in the end I played and quite well.
We’ll never know what would have happened if I had sustained another head ιnjury. You convince yourself that things can go horribly wrong when you are aware of the possibly lethal effects of repeated concussions.
Varane played for France in the 2014 World Cup quarter-final against Germany after taking a blоw to the head in the previous round
He endured a horror show playing for Real Madrid against Manchester City in the 2020 Champions League last-16 a few days after taking a blоw to the head
Varane participated in the game at Etihad Stadium, but he made two costly errors.
Before the second leg of the Champions League matchup between City and Real Madrid in July 2020, Varane was described as “without energy” after suffering another setback in a La Liga encounter between Real Madrid and Getafe.
Varane gave over the ball to Gabriel Jesus in the 2-1 loss at the Etihad, which allowed Raheem Sterling to score City’s first goal in the ninth minute.
After that, Varane committed another mistake in the second half, allowing Jesus to score when his headed back ball went wide of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
“I sensed it during the warm-up.” He urged, “Wake up,” and I told myself as much. I was like a spectator and couldn’t focus on staying in my match.
“In retrospect, I realized that the reason the match didn’t go well for me was because of the shоck I had experienced.”