Gregory du Frenice
Encyclopedia
Grégory Dufrennes is a French
football
midfielder
who currently plays for Al-Ittihad Kalba
in the UAE League
.
His father, Jean-Luc Dufrennes, who worked for the French Football Federation training coaches had been a great influence on his playing career in his youth.
Dufrennes senior was Gregory's guide and inspiration as he took his first steps in football, growing up in Les Ulis, a suburb 20km outside the French capital of Paris, where Thierry Henry
was born and Patrice Evra
went to school.
Growing up under the tutelage of his father, Dufrennes moved to Cannes when he was 14 to sharpen his skills at a training school. A couple of years later, he was representing the France Under-17, U18 and U19 teams. A few of his teammates from those junior teams, included Jeremy Toulalan
and Jérémie Aliadière
He played professionally with Amiens, Sete, and Valenciennes but failed to make it into Ligue 1 and at 22 years of age decided to move abroad.
Dufrennes was in his second season with Sete when he first received an offer to play in the UAE and he landed in Dubai in January 2006.
After moving to Dubai against his father's wishes, he played for Dubai SC and then made a move to Dubai based Al-Ahli, where he was shunned by some of their local stars namely Faisal Khalil after an altercation between the pair in training.
He scored 41 goals in 43 matches with Dubai and his performances earned him a deal with Al Ahli in 2008. It was the season Ahli went on to win the Pro League title, but Dufrennes played no part in the glory.
The club failed to find a place for the striker and gave him the option of playing for their second team, or leaving. An altercation with teammate Faisal Khalil in training further strained his relationship with the club and moved to find success with Al-Ittihad Kalba.
Dufrennes lives in Dubai with his wife, Emilie, and son, Enzo, who has just started going to school
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
who currently plays for Al-Ittihad Kalba
Al-Ittihad Kalba
Ittihad Kalba Sports & Cultural Club is a football club based in the United Arab Emirates.-Squad:...
in the UAE League
UAE League
The UAE Pro League Committee , commonly known as PLC, is the professional association football league of the United Arab Emirates. Founded in 1973, the league currently holds a number of tournaments for the 12 participating teams, including the Etisalat Pro-League, the Etisalat Cup, Etisalat...
.
His father, Jean-Luc Dufrennes, who worked for the French Football Federation training coaches had been a great influence on his playing career in his youth.
Dufrennes senior was Gregory's guide and inspiration as he took his first steps in football, growing up in Les Ulis, a suburb 20km outside the French capital of Paris, where Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
was born and Patrice Evra
Patrice Evra
Patrice Latyr Evra is a French international footballer who currently plays for English club Manchester United in the Premier League and the France national team. Originally an attacker, he primarily plays as a left back and is described as "the classic example of a modern full-back" who is...
went to school.
Growing up under the tutelage of his father, Dufrennes moved to Cannes when he was 14 to sharpen his skills at a training school. A couple of years later, he was representing the France Under-17, U18 and U19 teams. A few of his teammates from those junior teams, included Jeremy Toulalan
Jérémy Toulalan
Jérémy Toulalan is a French footballer who currently plays for Málaga CF in La Liga. His usual position is as a defensive midfielder, but he can also be utilized as a central defender. He is best known for his shy and humble demeanor, simple distribution, good technique, and effective...
and Jérémie Aliadière
Jérémie Aliadière
Jérémie Aliadière is a French footballer who plays as a striker for Lorient.As a graduate of the elite Clairefontaine academy, he signed for Arsenal aged 16. After making his Premier League debut in the 2001–02 season, he ultimately had limited opportunities, partly due to injury...
He played professionally with Amiens, Sete, and Valenciennes but failed to make it into Ligue 1 and at 22 years of age decided to move abroad.
Dufrennes was in his second season with Sete when he first received an offer to play in the UAE and he landed in Dubai in January 2006.
After moving to Dubai against his father's wishes, he played for Dubai SC and then made a move to Dubai based Al-Ahli, where he was shunned by some of their local stars namely Faisal Khalil after an altercation between the pair in training.
He scored 41 goals in 43 matches with Dubai and his performances earned him a deal with Al Ahli in 2008. It was the season Ahli went on to win the Pro League title, but Dufrennes played no part in the glory.
The club failed to find a place for the striker and gave him the option of playing for their second team, or leaving. An altercation with teammate Faisal Khalil in training further strained his relationship with the club and moved to find success with Al-Ittihad Kalba.
Dufrennes lives in Dubai with his wife, Emilie, and son, Enzo, who has just started going to school