Varane strongly warns against forcing children to train in heading. This is not only "pointless" but also extremely dangerous because "the brain is still in the middle of its development" at a young age.
The father of two has spoken out in favour of actively protecting young footballers. Among other things, the 78-time France international brought up the idea of mandatory head protection, suggesting similar regulations to those for shin guards.
Although this would not completely minimise the risk, Varane said: "There is now equipment and technical aids that can help the youngest players." Although it is sometimes necessary in sport to accept pain in order to improve, damage to health should not be accepted under any circumstances, especially at youth level.
Varane - himself once a feared header of the ball - warned of long-term effects and possible concussions. The former Real Madrid and Manchester United player emphasised that "the values of sport must be protected", but within a reasonable and controlled framework. A complete ban is also at least worth discussing.
Increased Alzheimer's and dementia risk
The risk of headers in football was also discussed several times in the specialist area. In 2024, Dr Matthias Pawlowski, a specialist in neurology at Munster University Hospital, warned that frequent headers can lead to minor brain trauma, which "can then have negative long-term consequences in terms of cognitive impairment and increase the risk of developing dementia".
In Germany, the DFB relies on age-appropriate guidelines instead of a general ban on headers for youth footballers. For example, it is recommended that targeted training should only begin at the age of 13.