Varane: That serious knee injury cut off 72% of my meniscus, otherwise my instinct for achievement would be higher

Hupu November 21 News Recently, Real Madrid star and former French international Varane won the Sports Award from "AS" and accepted an exclusive interview with "AS". He also talked about related topics and situations.

The following is the second part of the interview

Want to erase one day from your career?

(Contemplation) All experiences have value. But if I had to choose, it would obviously be the day I hurt my knee.

How would your career be different without that serious injury?

Definitely. I was forced to change the way I ran, the way I trained, the way I maintained my body. I have been learning body balance and posture adjustment since I started in 2013, and I have to work twice as hard throughout my career. Therefore, if it had not been for that injury, my career achievements may have been even higher (laughs). From that point on, I had to put together a personal team and work with the club to find the perfect physical balance. Without these, my career might have ended in 2014.

How serious is the injury?

Tear of the lateral semilunar valve is the most complex injury. The surgery removed 72% of the meniscus. My body protected itself by limiting the range of motion of the joints, but this caused a disorder in the whole body's balance system - the details were adjusted to an unimaginable level, and custom insoles had to be replaced every six months.

How many people are involved in the rehabilitation?

Team of at least five people.

Is it normal to play with injuries?

This is always the case. It could be the knee, Achilles tendon, or back, but the knee pain never stops. It still hurts when I exercise. Ordinary exercise is good for health, but professional exercise is not.

Is the Champions League game against Manchester City in the 2019-20 season something you want to forget?

No, that makes me stronger. Later, when I participated in the Derby as a Manchester United player, this experience actually made the game more exciting (laughs). I never make excuses, but this brings up an important topic - I actually played that game with concussion issues that lasted for weeks.

What is the specific situation?

Before, he was hit hard on the temple against Getafe and was replaced after persisting in the game as usual. I was extremely exhausted for several weeks after that. I thought I would just rest more, but it turned out to be symptoms of a concussion. There was no detection mechanism at the time and I had issues with my coordination and energy levels.

What was unusual about the match against Manchester City?

Unable to concentrate and judge the path of the ball - my strengths completely failed in that game. As I always hit the ball with one kick, I was extremely slow in handling the ball that day.

Why did it take so many years to reveal...

It is difficult for athletes to admit that they have lost control of their bodies. But the experience led me to delve deeper into concussions, later working with a team of French experts. It is absolutely reasonable to ban children from heading the ball now, and experts agree that reform is urgently needed.

What data do you have?

Professional players have a 3.5% higher risk of developing brain degenerative diseases. A central defender has completed an average of more than 20,000 headers in his career. Reducing headers during adolescence is crucial for brain development.

Has the current situation improved?

The existing detection technology is very accurate. The 30-second standing test was used to monitor concussion sequelae in England, which was not yet widespread in Spain when I left.

Is the current schedule too dense?

Of course. Adding competition for commercial gain is counterproductive. There are only 272 games in the NFL throughout the year, and the current proliferation of football events has led to saturation and boredom among young players. When I was a child, I looked forward to the Champions League games, but now there are too many games, which dilutes the excitement.

What about player load?

Mbappé has said that it is feasible to play 100 games a year, but it is impossible to go all out in every game. Sometimes you just avoid getting hurt. I would rather do less but do better. Less than 1% of players play in both the Champions League and the national team. They are the core of what the audience wants to watch. If this group collapses, the entire football system will collapse.

What’s special about France’s career?

More special than now. We inherited the low point from 2010-12, and we were booed when we took a 3-0 lead back in our first game against Georgia! The turning point was the play-off match against Ukraine. When we returned home from a 0-2 deficit in the away game, the audience stood up and cheered for a comeback. It was a goosebumps moment.

The magic behind France winning the World Cup in 2018?

In addition to strength, the locker room is full of leaders: Lori, Pogba, Griezmann, Mbappe and me. Although we started poorly, we developed a belief that no one could stop us. This was something we created ourselves.

After playing 360 games and winning 4 Champions League titles at Real Madrid, are you considering returning?

Of course it is possible. I have a good relationship with the club and am based in Madrid. But now I focus on business projects - football is surprisingly similar to the business world. I became the CEO of my own company at the age of 23 and formed a team to support enterprises with social value.

Why choose Como as your last stop?

I originally wanted to continue playing on the court, but the compensatory left leg injury made me decide to retire. Still participating in club construction, assisting youth training and summer camps, and experiencing football from another dimension. At the same time, he is committed to three foundation affairs.

The work of the Foundation?

"Varane Training Camp " provides free mixed football training. It was previously held in Martinique, his father's hometown, and is now moved to northern France. Spreading my values ​​through mobile camps: hard work, respect, humility and ambition. The foundation run together with the 2018 championship teammates supports charity organizations. A documentary about mental health will be released on December 1st. The third foundation focuses on France’s former colonial areas.