The coincidence is disturbing. This Wednesday the book was released in bookstores The 10 secrets of the champions’ mindset (editions De Boeck Supérieur) written by mental trainer Anthony Mette. The book is prefaced by Raphaël Varane, who announced the end of his career on Instagram this morning, at just 31 years old.
Reached by telephone, the author, who has been working with the 2018 world champion “for almost two years”, is not really surprised by this retirement, even if it was precipitated by yet another injury, to the knee, during the first match of the now ex-defender with his club Como, on August 11 in the Italian Cup.
“We had discussed this subject quite quickly,” says the doctor of psychology, who is also a trainer and speaker. “As he is someone who anticipates things a lot, he really wanted it to go well, by preparing for his post-career. It’s a point we had worked on.”
Whistleblower
The former Lens, Real Madrid and Manchester United player, with a list of achievements as long as Victor Wembanyama’s arm, hung up his boots in the middle of a debate on the infernal calendar and its corollary, the health of the players, which he has often seized upon.
In February 2023, two months after an already early international retirement at the age of 29, at the end of the World Cup in Qatar, the man with 93 caps had very strong words on Canal+: “I gave everything, physically and psychologically. The very high level is a washing machine, we play all the time, we never stop. At the moment, I have the impression that the player is eating the man.”
Since that statement, the situation has only gotten worse, as international competitions continue to expand, awaiting the new format of the Club World Cup next summer.
“In the world of professional sport, in football, but also in rugby, tennis, or basketball, players are extremely active,” regrets Anthony Mette. “The number of planes they take per week, the number of training sessions, matches, requests… It’s extravagant. We are witnessing increasingly short careers because players are physically and mentally exhausted. They exceed their limits all the time.”
The scourge of concussions
Far from the aliens Messi, Ronaldo or Modric, who are approaching forty, Varane could therefore initiate a trend that is set to take hold.
” Raphaël is someone who is not afraid to make difficult decisions, even for his bank account, the mental trainer says with a smile. What interests him is the honest side. He is someone who wants to play to the best of his ability, who does not want to cheat on the field, to be clear about his values, about the player and the father that he is. When he does not feel it, he does not feel it and he stops. »
And he also opens his mouth, for example by putting the scourge of concussions in the spotlight, as last April in The Team. “It immediately seems weak to say that you are tired, that you have migraines or eye strain,” he noted, after having confided that he had played with concussion in the quarter-final of the World Cup against Germany in 2014, but also in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 between Manchester City and Real Madrid in 2020. It often seems like an excuse or a fact of not being ready to take up the challenge.”
The (very) young retiree is preparing for the post-career one. The more delicate challenge for a top athlete. This new chapter will begin to be written in Como, as he indicated on Instagram without further details. “He will surely become a model, a reference, judges Anthony Mette. He has the profile. He has charisma, stature, he knows how to make himself heard. And then societal and medical issues are close to his heart. In the future, he is someone who could engage in this kind of positioning.” Given the direction of the reforms developed by UEFA and FIFA, such a powerful spokesperson will not be too much.