Football player complaining about overwork: Who is Raphael Varane?
It was difficult to be a football player in Victorian England. Because they were amateurs, many players were both playing ball and working in the factory. Today's successful football players have an easier job compared to them. However, some elite players today also complain about overtraining.
Manchester United's Raphael Varane has accused football governing bodies of making fixtures overly congested and said the current football calendar is "becoming dangerous for the physical and mental health" of players.
The French player has been one of the most active football players in Europe since the beginning of the 2018-19 season. According to the FIFPro organization, which represents 66 thousand players from 66 countries, Varane played more than 250 matches during this period. In approximately 60 percent of the matches he played, no more than five days had passed since the previous match. So he lacked the rest interval recommended by FIFPro.
Raphaël Xavier Varane (born 25 April 1993) is a French professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Manchester United. Considered as one of the best defenders of his generation, Varane is known for his defensive prowess and speed.
The situation of Varane's teammate from Manchester United, Bruno Fernandes, is even worse. He played in 70 matches last season. FIFPro's medical experts recommend a maximum of 55 matches.
The number of minutes played by 23-year-old Vinicius Junior for his club Real Madrid and his national team Brazil is three times the amount of minutes played by Ronaldinho, who is twenty years older than him, at the same age. England's brightest young talent, Jude Bellingham, has played professional football before he turned 20, 30 percent longer than Wayne Rooney, the young star of twenty years ago.
The World Cup, football's biggest tournament, was held last year in the middle of the football season in Europe, where most of the players played. Varane was playing for Manchester United eight days after playing and losing the World Cup final.
According to FIFPro, 44 percent of football players say they feel either extreme fatigue or more fatigue in the 2022-23 season than in the previous season.
Tired players are more likely to get injured. Two-thirds of injuries in Europe's top five leagues last season were soft tissue problems. This type of disability is associated with the accumulation of fatigue and inadequate rest.
Training has been shortened in American football
Athletes in other branches react to such intensity. In American football, players made an agreement with the National Football League that limits their workload. For example, restrictions were placed on pre-season training times. In Australia, two days off per week during the pre-season preparation period and one day off per week during the season have been introduced.
Who is Raphael Varane?
Varane first started his football career in Hellmes at the age of 7. After playing in the junior team for 2 years, he transferred to the youth team of Lens in 2002. The football player, who improved himself and constantly increased his performance in the youth team, where he played for 8 years, began to gain favor with the technical team towards his final seasons.
In 2010, he was promoted to the A team. He played professional matches with his team for the first time in the 2010-2011 season. In his first season, he played in 24 matches with his team, scoring 2 goals. Varane was transferred to Spain's giant and well-established team Real Madrid on 22 June 2011 for 10 Million Euros and signed a 6-year contract. It was Zinedine Zidane who brought him to the team.
Varane made his debut against Racing Santander in a 0-0 draw and scored his first goal against Rayo Vallecano in a 6-2 win on 24 September 2011. He won La Liga with his team in his first season. In the 2013-2014 season, he won both the Champions League Championship and the Spanish King's Cup and played a part in these successes by playing in 23 matches with his team that season. In 2014, he won the FIFA Club World Cup.
February 2023
Manchester United's star player Raphael Varane has decided to quit the French National Team.
The 29-year-old defender said in a statement on his Instagram account: "I have been thinking about this for months and I have decided that this is the right time to leave the national team."
Varane thanked all members of the national team, especially coach Didier Deschamps, and said that he would never forget the championship they won in 2018.
The France National Team, where Raphael Varane played, won the 2018 World Cup in Russia and lost the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to Argentina in the final.