The former goalkeeper, who played for Brest, Clermont and Le Havre, has announced his retirement due to multiple concussions which now force him to protect himself.
Arthur Desmas, a 32-year-old professional goalkeeper, has decided to hang up his gloves definitively. Trained at Stade Brestois, he then wore the jerseys of Clermont and Le Havre before having to interrupt his career due to health problems linked to repeated concussions.
In an interview given to our colleagues, the former goalkeeper recounts the ordeal he has been going through for several years. The symptoms persist and prevent him from resuming normal activity. "There is not much more we can do for you," the doctors specializing in the management of concussions at the highest sporting level reportedly told him.
This subject of concussions in football remains too often taboo. Unlike rugby, where protocols have been considerably strengthened, football is slow to grasp the scale of the problem. Players like Desmas are paying the price for this collective negligence.
The former goalkeeper now wishes to alert the governing bodies and young footballers to the dangers of these repeated traumas. He is campaigning for better prevention and stricter medical monitoring, particularly for goalkeepers who are especially exposed to direct impacts.
This painful decision marks the end of a professional career marked by promises kept before medicine forced Arthur Desmas to turn the page. His testimony could help advance thinking on the protection of players against the neurological after-effects linked to the intensive practice of football.
In an interview given to our colleagues, the former goalkeeper recounts the ordeal he has been going through for several years. The symptoms persist and prevent him from resuming normal activity. "There is not much more we can do for you," the doctors specializing in the management of concussions at the highest sporting level reportedly told him.
This subject of concussions in football remains too often taboo. Unlike rugby, where protocols have been considerably strengthened, football is slow to grasp the scale of the problem. Players like Desmas are paying the price for this collective negligence.
The former goalkeeper now wishes to alert the governing bodies and young footballers to the dangers of these repeated traumas. He is campaigning for better prevention and stricter medical monitoring, particularly for goalkeepers who are especially exposed to direct impacts.
This painful decision marks the end of a professional career marked by promises kept before medicine forced Arthur Desmas to turn the page. His testimony could help advance thinking on the protection of players against the neurological after-effects linked to the intensive practice of football.
Advertisement
Source: Ouest-France