Varane Camps 2025: Special Edition with Como 1907

From April 7 to 11 in Hellemmes (Arthur Cornette Complex), the Varane Camps return for their 36th week since launching in 2019, featuring—for the first time—an event in partnership with Como 1907, the most recent club of the French World Cup champion.

It is no coincidence that the City of Hellemmes, where a young Raphaël Varane began playing football in 2000, and the Italian club Como—where he ended his professional career in the summer of 2024—have been brought together by the former French national team defender.

This collaboration will allow 70 children from the Hauts-de-France region—and beyond—to experience a week with an Italian flair, full of surprises.

Even though his illustrious career gave him the unique opportunity to play in the most beautiful stadiums in the world, Raphaël Varane has always remained deeply connected to his roots. He still remembers his first moments kicking a ball in the jersey of AS Hellemmes, which opened the doors to RC Lens, Real Madrid, Manchester United, and the French national team.

Wishing to give back to young people what football has given him, the former French defender launched the Varane Camps in 2019 in two regions close to his heart: Hauts-de-France and Martinique. To do so, he relied on a key figure in Northern France and French football, Daniel Leclercq, who played a key role in the first two camps in Hellemmes in 2019. The camps have strong commitments to ensure access for all, including this one in partnership with Como: they are free, mixed-gender, and have no skill level requirements.

What remains unchanged are the optimal conditions under which the young participants will train, supported by experienced coaches like Hervé Arsène (former head of pre-training at RC Lens) and Michel Ettorre (former FC Metz goalkeeper, in charge of position-specific training). In addition to the accessibility and high-quality coaching that have made the Varane Camps a benchmark, the numerous educational activities also contribute to their success. Their deeper mission is to help educate the citizens of tomorrow.

Highly committed since launching his association six years ago, Raphaël Varane was awarded Citizen Player of the Year at the 2024 UNFP Awards in Paris.