Sébastien Frey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sébastien Frey

Frey with Bursaspor in 2014
Personal information
Full name	Sébastien Frey
Date of birth	(1980-03-18) 18 March 1980 (age 45)
Place of birth	Thonon-les-Bains, Haute-Savoie, France
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1997–1998	Cannes	24	(0)
1998–2001	Inter Milan	35	(0)
1999–2000	→ Hellas Verona (loan)	30	(0)
2001–2006	Parma	132	(0)
2005–2006	→ Fiorentina (loan)	18	(0)
2006–2011	Fiorentina	157	(0)
2011–2013	Genoa	74	(0)
2013–2015	Bursaspor	27	(0)
Total		497	(0)
International career
2000–2001	France U21	4	(0)
2007–2008	France	2	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Sébastien Frey (born March 18, 1980) is a French former professional footballer. He played as a goalkeeper.

Frey started his club career in France with Cannes in 1997. He spent most of his career playing in Italy's top league, Serie A. He played for famous teams like Inter Milan, Hellas Verona, Parma, Fiorentina, and Genoa. He finished his career in 2015 after playing two seasons for the Turkish team Bursaspor. Sébastien Frey also played for the France national football team twice between 2007 and 2008. He was also part of the team for UEFA Euro 2008, but he did not play in any matches.

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Cannes

Frey began his football journey with the French team AS Cannes in 1997. He was only 17 years old at the time. On September 20, 1997, he played his first professional league game. He was the starting goalkeeper in a 1–1 draw against Rennes. By the end of the 1997–98 season, Frey had played in 24 league matches. He became the main goalkeeper for the team.

Moving to Inter Milan

After two good seasons at Cannes, bigger clubs noticed Frey's talent. Inter Milan in Italy was very interested in him. He decided to join Inter. At first, he was the third-choice goalkeeper. But soon, he became the second-choice. On March 21, 1999, Frey played his first game for Inter against Genoa. He played seven league games in total for Inter that season.

Loan to Verona and Return

In 1999, Frey went on loan to Verona. He played 30 league games there. He helped the team avoid being moved down to a lower league. The next year, he returned to Inter Milan. He became the youngest goalkeeper in Inter's history. He was also the first foreign player to be the main goalkeeper for Inter. He even got to be the team captain sometimes. However, the team did not play as well as expected. Inter decided to bring in a new goalkeeper, Francesco Toldo. This meant Frey had to look for a new team.

Playing for Parma

In the summer of 2001, Frey moved to Parma. He joined Parma after Francesco Toldo moved to Inter. Frey had a big job to do at Parma. He was replacing Gianluigi Buffon, who was a very famous goalkeeper. Buffon had just moved to Juventus for a world-record fee for a goalkeeper.

Frey did very well at Parma. He showed off his skills and proved he was a great player. He became a very important part of the team. He also played regularly in the UEFA Cup, a big European competition. In the 2001–02 season, Parma won the Coppa Italia (Italian Cup). This was the third time Parma had won this title since 1992. Frey was a key player for the team. In June 2005, Frey helped Parma avoid being moved down to Serie B. He had an amazing performance in a match against Bologna. After four seasons, Frey left Parma to join Fiorentina.

Time at Fiorentina

Frey playing for Fiorentina in 2009

Frey joined Fiorentina on loan for the 2005–06 season. He then signed a permanent deal with the club. He had a great season and became a key player for the team. On January 10, 2006, Frey got injured during a Coppa Italia match. He hurt his leg and could not play for several months. Fiorentina had to bring in another goalkeeper, Bogdan Lobonț, to replace him.

Frey returned to play for Fiorentina in the new season. He got his starting spot back as the main goalkeeper. On December 13, 2007, Frey injured his knee again during training. He had surgery the next day. He came back to play on January 13, 2008, helping Fiorentina win 2–1 against Parma. His excellent play earned him a new contract. That season, Fiorentina reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup. In the 2008–09 Serie A season, Frey was very strong in goal. He let in less than one goal per game. On November 2, 2010, Frey injured his knee again. This injury kept him out for the rest of the season.

Moving to Genoa

In 2011, Frey joined Genoa. He signed a five-year contract. He moved because he was no longer the first-choice goalkeeper at Fiorentina. Artur Boruc had taken his place. However, Genoa's team was struggling. They were often in the relegation zone, meaning they were in danger of being moved to a lower league. Frey left Genoa after two years. Mattia Perin replaced him as goalkeeper. Before joining Genoa, Frey had talked with PSG in France. He also said that Bayern Munich in Germany had wanted to sign him in the past.

Final Years at Bursaspor

On July 15, 2013, Frey joined the Turkish club Bursaspor. He played for two seasons there. He did not play any games during the 2014–15 season. His contract was ended by agreement on July 9, 2015. After this, Frey retired from professional football. He shared a message on Instagram on July 15, 2015, thanking Bursaspor for his time there.

International Career

Frey was first called up to play for the France in November 2004. This was for a match against Poland, but he did not play. He earned his first cap (played his first game) for France on November 21, 2007. This was in a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match against Ukraine. The game ended in a 2–2 draw. He was part of France's team for the Euro 2008 finals. On August 20, 2008, Frey announced he was retiring from international football. He was 28 years old and wanted to focus on his club career.

Playing Style

Sébastien Frey was known for being a strong leader and staying calm during games. He was also known for his strong character and always playing well. Many people thought he was one of the best goalkeepers in Italy's Serie A during his career. He was a quick and athletic goalkeeper. He was very good at stopping shots and catching balls in the air. He was especially known for his fast reactions and how athletic he was in goal. He also had good positioning and could quickly rush out to challenge players in one-on-one situations. Frey was also good with the ball at his feet.

Personal Life

Sébastien Frey comes from a family of footballers. His grandfather, André, was a French international player. His father, Raymond, was also a professional goalkeeper. His younger brother, Nicolas, played as a defensive midfielder for the Italian team Chievo. Frey follows Buddhism (Soka Gakkai). He has said that former Fiorentina star Roberto Baggio was one of his spiritual guides.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Awards and Achievements

Parma

• Coppa Italia: 2001–02

Individual

• Guerin d'Oro: 2000
• ACF Fiorentina Hall of Fame: 2022

See also

In Spanish: Sébastien Frey para niños