Nicolas Frey

Nicolas Sébastian Frey (born 6 March 1984) is a French footballer who plays for Italian club A.C. ChievoVerona as either a right back or a central defender.

Football career

Born in Thonon-les-Bains, Haute-Savoie, Frey played exclusively at amateur level in his country, joining AS Cannes' youth system at the age of 10 and appearing in two seasons for its reserves as a senior. In 2004, aged 20, he moved to Italy with A.C. Legnano, in Serie C.

After one year, Frey signed for Serie B club Modena FC, being an important first-team member during his spell and appearing in 62 league games in his last two years combined. In the 2008 summer, he joined A.C. Chievo Verona in a co-ownership deal along with Angelo Antonazzo, in exchange for Salvatore Bruno and Michele Troiano; he made his Serie A debut on 5 October 2008 in a 0–2 home loss against ACF Fiorentina, and finished his debut campaign with 21 league games as the Verona side retained their division status.

On 17 July 2009, Chievo signed Frey on a permanent basis. During his spell with the club, he often shared right-back duties with Gennaro Sardo.

Personal life

Frey's older brother, Sébastien, is also a footballer. A goalkeeper, he too was brought up at Cannes, and also played most of his career in Italy, mainly with Parma F.C. and Fiorentina.

His father, Raymond, was a professional goalkeeper, while his grandfather André was a defender who played several years with Toulouse FC, reaching the French national team as Sébastien.