Christophe Dugarry does not have his tongue in his pocket. The former Marseillais was very critical of the fight led by Raphaël Varane on the risks linked to concussions in football, in particular the limitation of heading play for under-12s. The 2018 world champion is trying to raise awareness among authorities and the general public, recalling the importance of caution, especially among young players.
“I think that before the age of 12, there is no necessarily need to play with your head”Varane explained for RMC. But according to Dugarry, this approach goes too far. “I have a lot of respect for Raphaël Varane, he is an intelligent, calm, calm boy… If he had this thought at one point, why not? But preventing football players from heading before the age of 12… I don't understand the idea. So does that mean we also prevent them from going out? »he told the media.
“A ridiculous debate”
The consultant continued with irony to underline the exaggeration according to him of the measure: “Imagine there is one who takes the ball in his genitals, maybe he will be infertile. I think these are ridiculous fights. A woman who takes her car is more likely to have an accident than one who does not. In these conditions, you no longer do anything. »
Despite his skepticism, Dugarry admits that vigilance remains necessary in the event of a real concussion. “If a child takes a ball with great force in the face and passes out, obviously we need to see a doctor and prevent him from returning to the field. But here, we're talking about concussion, it's totally different. Not making headers in football anymore, I didn’t expect that”he concluded.
