Varane monitors the health and wealth of football players.

Former French defender Raphael Varane has launched an initiative aimed at supporting professional football players in managing their health and financial affairs, after witnessing the challenges players face when making critical decisions about their wealth, career future, and physical health during his playing career.
The 2018 World Cup champion and four-time UEFA Champions League winner with Real Madrid has established an agency called “+ Fort,” in partnership with wealth management expert Guillaume Lequini and orthopedic surgeon Hervé Silbert.
Varane, who retired two years ago, stated that football players are often forced to make decisions similar to those of company executives, despite being preoccupied with training, matches, and the pressure to achieve results.
He explained that the project aims to provide a comprehensive professional environment for players, including financial consulting, medical follow-up, and future planning, noting that several current members of the French national team have utilized the agency's services, though he did not disclose their names.
Bruno Bianzina, director of the sports consulting and communication agency “Sport Market,” believes that players need trustworthy individuals to guide them in making long-term decisions, emphasizing that a player's agent typically focuses on managing the sports project, while financial, health, and personal aspects require different oversight.
Financial management is particularly important for football players, some of whom earn high incomes at a young age, while their professional careers remain relatively short.
Guillaume Lequini stated that the uniqueness of a professional player lies in the short duration of their athletic activity compared to the amount of money they can earn, pointing out that his mission is to diversify investments and avoid financial decisions that could lead to the loss of a player's wealth.
Physical health is the second focus of the project, especially with the increasing number of matches and shorter rest periods, conditions that have previously raised objections from the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPro).
Bianzina noted that players often rely on their clubs' medical staff to monitor their health, even though the sports priorities of the club or national team may sometimes differ from the long-term health interests of the player.
Surgeon Hervé Silbert, who has been monitoring Varane's health since he was nineteen, explained that having a personal doctor accompany the player throughout their career helps in assessing injuries and potential risks, in coordination with the clubs' medical teams.
He pointed out that the role of the personal doctor is not just to oppose the club's medical decisions, but to contribute to confirming diagnoses and determining the need for rest when warning signs appear.
Varane recalled some situations he faced during his career, explaining that informing the coach about feeling tired is not always well-received, while accurate medical data allows for a more objective discussion of the situation.
The former French defender stated that clubs typically operate under the pressure of results and upcoming matches, which can make medical decisions tied to immediate sporting needs.
Varane has previously participated in awareness efforts regarding the risks of concussions that players may face, warning about the concerning health effects they can have.
Mental health has also received increasing attention in the world of football, after psychological issues were a difficult topic to address in a competitive and performance-driven professional environment.
In this context, former French international Samuel Umtiti, along with other players from the 2018 World Cup-winning team, participated in a documentary titled “Têtes plongeantes,” which addresses depression and the psychological difficulties faced by athletes.
The film features discussions between teenagers and football stars sharing their mental health experiences, and it has been included in the French school curriculum for fourth-grade middle school classes.
Varane affirmed that his 14-year experience at the highest levels of football has taught him that achieving good performance is also linked to choosing the right people surrounding the player, while the benefits of specialized services remain tied to the financial capabilities of players, especially outside the circle of high-earning stars.





