Raphaël Varane honoured as RC Lens unveil La Gaillette training zone | OneFootball

RC Lens have inaugurated the Raphaël Varane training zone at La Gaillette on Monday, naming part of their base after the 2018 World Cup winner.

According to L'Équipe, the new area will be used in part by the first team.

Varane called it a special moment, recalling he lived at La Gaillette from nine to 18, learned a great deal and still feels part of the Lens family. He spoke in front of his brother and father.

Club president Joseph Oughourlian described him as an iconic figure during difficult times and a model for young players, acknowledging former president Gervais Martel. Varane, 33, began his professional career at Lens in 2010, made 24 appearances in one season, then joined Real Madrid before retiring in 2024.

The club has invested €3.3m in the zone, which contains two training pitches within an area equivalent to two and a half, as part of €7m to modernise the training centre. It features a hybrid pitch that is half-heated, a first for La Gaillette, enabling outdoor sessions through winter instead of the Dôme Eric Sikora’s synthetic surface. Tactical cameras will be installed and linked directly to the staff offices to reduce reliance on drones.

Source: L'Équipe

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