Manchester United defender Raphael Varane believes his body has been “damaged” due to effects of continually heading the ball.

Varane says that he advises his seven-year-old son not to head the ball when he plays.

The 30-year-old also revealed that he finished a World Cup last-16 game for France against Nigeria in 2014 on “autopilot” after suffering concussion.

“Personally, I don’t know if I’ll live to be 100, but I do know that I’ve damaged my body,” Varane told L’Equipe.

“The dangers of headers need to be taught on all amateur football pitches and to young people.

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

“Even if it doesn’t cause any immediate trauma, we know that in the long term, repeated shocks can have harmful effects.”

Speaking about the Nigeria match, Varane added: “I finished the match, but I was in autopilot mode. The staff wondered if I was fit (to play in France’s quarter-final against 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 playing at the highest level, we are used to pain, we are a bit like soldiers, tough guys, symbols of physical strength, but these symptoms are almost invisible.

“If your leg hurts and you limp, everyone sees it. But with head injuries, it immediately feels weak to say that you are tired, that you have migraines or eye fatigue, so at first, we tell ourselves that it will pass.”

Football lawmakers the International Football Association Board (IFAB) announced law changes in March that include an option for competitions to introduce additional permanent concussion substitutions – something which has been trialled in the Premier League since the 2020-21 season.

But calls from leagues and players’ unions for temporary subs to allow for head injury assessments were not taken up.

Gian Piero Gasperini excited as Atalanta reach business end of season

Gian Piero Gasperini is relishing the fact Atalanta have a packed schedule heading into the final months of the season as his side chase success in three competitions.

La Dea can reach the Coppa Italia final with victory over Fiorentina in the semi-finals, while Champions League qualification is within their capabilities as the top four in Serie A is only seven points away, and only Liverpool stand between them and making progress in the Europa League later this month.

First up is Wednesday’s away leg of a Coppa semi match-up which head coach Gasperini is “thrilled” to be involved in.

He told La Gazzetta dello Sport: “Going into the end of the season with three goals to chase is really exciting.

“I’m expecting a balanced match, we’ll need to be very focused and trust each other. It’s a thrill to be able to experience this time and I’m very happy to have such a united and high-quality team at my disposal.

“The Coppa Italia is our most realistic target because I never really thought we could compete for the Scudetto with teams that are now chasing about 90 or 100 points. The cup, however, is possible. It’s the fourth semi we’ve reached since I’ve been here.”

Unfortunately for Gasperini, he will observe the match at the Stadio Artemio Franchi from the stands as he serves a touchline ban.

He joked: “It’s a shame, but at least I’ll have a better view.”

Wednesday’s hosts Fiorentina are still in a period of mourning following the death of their general manager Joe Barone last month.

Boss Vincenzo Italiano, who is keen to dismiss speculation suggesting he will leave the Florence club at the end of the season, wants to “throw all the passion” expressed by supporters to the late Barone into their cup tie.

“The future of Fiorentina is far more important than any individual, whether it’s me or the players,” he told Sky Sport Italia.

“We have to throw all the passion, love and determination that Barone showed us during these years and put those elements into our performances for the rest of the season.

“I am not trying to avoid answering (questions about his future), but I insist we must try to concentrate on these remaining 13 matches this season and keep everyone focused.

“This sort of talk does not help anyone, in my view, it can actually make us lose our concentration.”


The MLS Team of the Week: Matchday 7
FotMob - April 2, 2024, 6:30 PM
Our MLS expert James Nalton picks five of the standout players from Matchday 7 in Major League Soccer, including his two North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) Player of the Matchday votes.

By James Nalton
Players from MLS’s Western Conference feature heavily among the standout performances from Matchday 7.

Several teams from this side of the league have been among the best to watch in the early rounds of the 2024 MLS season, and there are plenty of players to keep an eye on.

A couple of them were the clear standout pair from this round of games.

The Top Two
9.5 FotMob rating: Djordje Mihailović – Colorado Rapids
The American midfielder was part of some impressive off-season recruitment by the Rapids, arriving as a Designated Player after a spell in Europe with AZ Alkmaar that didn’t quite pan out as hoped.

Back in MLS, he can be a difference maker for his team, and was for the Rapids in their 3-2 win against Los Angeles FC — their first home win of the season.

It was Mihailović’s inswinging corner, headed in by Moïse Bombito, that had the Rapids back on level terms for the first time.

Then when they went behind again, it was Mihailović’s free kick from the edge of the area, into the net before Hugo Lloris could even think about saving it, which evened things out once again.

His second goal and third goal contribution was to be the winner as he took up the position of a striker in the box to turn in a cross from Kimani Stewart-Baynes.

He also finished the game having created seven chances in total.

Colorado have ambitions to be one of the best teams in the Western Conference, and these are the type of performances they need from Mihailović if they are to reach those heights.


9.6 FotMob rating: Cristian Arango – Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake are another team that could challenge at the top of the Western Conference this season and showed as much when they defeated St Louis City 3-1.

All three RSL goals were scored in the last 20 minutes of the game by Colombian striker Cristian Arango.

He got off the mark with a shot fired accurately and powerfully into the corner from just outside the area.

His second was scored from the penalty spot and his hat-trick goal was well set up by Diego Luna for a fifth in total for the season so far.

RSL have only finished among the top five teams in the West once in the last eight years, but this season they are looking like a real contender.

Three more standout performers
8.9 FotMob rating: Gabriel Pec – LA Galaxy
Prior to the arrival of Joseph Paintsil, Brazilian winger Gabriel Pec was picked out as the new signing to watch for LA Galaxy in our Western Conference preview, and he showed why with a player of the match performance as his side defeated Seattle Sounders 1-0.

The 23-year-old scored the only goal of the game with less than five minutes played, firing a shot at the near post that was too hot for Sounders keeper Stefan Frei to handle.

Frei might have been disappointed to let the ball past him, but it was great play from the Galaxy in the build-up involving Riqui Puig and Paintsil, before Pec finished the move.

Pec had a pass success rate of 91% by the end of the game and had completed five dribbles.

The Galaxy sit top of the Western Conference with 13 goals, the second most across MLS after Inter Miami (14).


8.7 FotMob rating: Fafá Picault – Vancouver Whitecaps
Another Western conference side impressing early on this season are Vancouver Whitecaps.

They are just behind the Galaxy in the early table and bounced back from last week’s loss to RSL with a 3-2 win at home against Cascadia rivals Portland Timbers.

Ryan Gauld opened the scoring and then Picault extended the Whitecaps’ first-half lead to 2-0, curling one into the far corner from the left after a deflected cross rolled in his direction.

Portland brought it back to 2-2, but Picault’s persistence in the six-yard box eventually set up a chance for Ryan Raposo to score the winner.


8.7 FotMob rating: Jamal Thiaré – Atlanta United
The 31-year-old Senegalese forward scored his first goals for Atlanta United to help them to a 3-0 win at home to Chicago Fire.

Thiaré came off the bench in the 64th minute to replace Giorgios Giakoumakis who had scored the opening goal.

With his first touch in the 65th minute, Thiaré turned in Brooks Lennon’s cross to make it 2-0.

He had another goal ruled out for offside as Atlanta looked likely to score a third once Carlos Terán was sent off for the Fire.

Thiaré’s brace eventually came with a well-taken goal from close range, including a great first touch to beat a defender after Thiago Almada’s shot rebounded to him off the post.


(Cover Image from IMAGO)

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