Clément Jean Camille Grenier (born 7 January 1991) is a French professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
. He has also represented France at
senior
Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to:
* Senior (name), a surname ...
central midfield
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...
, as well as in the attacking midfield position just behind the striker. He is known for his technical ability,
dribbling
In sports, dribbling is maneuvering a ball by one player while moving in a given direction, avoiding defenders' attempts to intercept the ball. A successful dribble will bring the ball past defenders legally and create opportunities to score.
As ...
Annonay
Annonay (; ) is a Communes of France, commune and largest city in the north of the Ardèche department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France. It is the most populous commune in the Ardèche department although it is not the ...
, Ardèche.
Club career
Early career
Grenier began his career with his hometown club FC Annonay starring with the club's under-9 team. He helped the club reach the departmental final of the National Cup for under-9 players. Grenier later drew interest from
Lyon
Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
, whose scouts informed the youngster to continue his great play in order to join the club at a later date. In July 2002, he secured a move to Lyon, joining the club's youth academy.
Lyon
Grenier continued his development, becoming one of the club's best prospects. He attracted interest from Spanish club
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional Football club (association football), football club based in Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, th ...
, English clubs
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
Inter Milan
Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football ...
Kaká
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite (; born 22 April 1982), commonly known as Kaká () or Ricardo Kaká, is a Brazilian former professional Association football, footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. In his prime at A.C. Milan, AC Mil ...
. Despite the interest, Grenier along with fellow youth player
Yannis Tafer
Yannis Tafer (, born 11 February 1991) is a French professional association football, footballer who plays as a winger (association football), winger for Luxembourger club Racing FC Union Luxembourg, Racing-Union.
He is a France national youth ...
, signed his first professional contract on 15 May 2008, agreeing to a three-year deal.
Though Grenier was on the senior team and featured in several pre-season matches ahead of the 2008–09 season, he spent the majority of the campaign playing with the reserve team in the
Championnat de France Amateur
The Championnat National 2, commonly known as National 2 and formerly known as Championnat de France Amateur (CFA), is a football league competition. The league serves as the fourth tier of French football league system behind Ligue 1, Ligue 2 ...
, the fourth division of French football. Grenier played in 16 league matches and scored his only goal against
Agde
Agde (; ) is a commune in the southern French department of Hérault. It is the Mediterranean port of the Canal du Midi. It is situated on an ancient basalt volcano, hence the name "Black Pearl of the Mediterranée".
Location
Agde is locate ...
. He also played in the 2008–09 edition of the
Coupe Gambardella
The Coupe Gambardella is a French football cup competition held between the under-18s of the French football clubs, organized by the French Football Federation (FFF).
The cup is regarded as an opportunity for young hopefuls to showcase their s ...
appearing in seven matches and scoring three goals as the squad reach the semi-finals. Due to
tendinitis
Tendinopathy is a type of tendon disorder that results in pain, swelling, and impaired function. The pain is typically worse with movement. It most commonly occurs around the shoulder ( rotator cuff tendinitis, biceps tendinitis), elbow ( tenn ...
of the
patella
The patella (: patellae or patellas), also known as the kneecap, is a flat, rounded triangular bone which articulates with the femur (thigh bone) and covers and protects the anterior articular surface of the knee joint. The patella is found in m ...
, he did not play in any matches with the senior team.
Grenier began the 2009–10 season with the reserve team. He scored on his debut against Gap. On 26 September, he made his senior debut in a 2–1 league win against
Toulouse
Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...
, appearing as a substitute for
Bafétimbi Gomis
Bafétimbi Gomis (born 6 August 1985) is a French former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker.
Gomis played youth football with AS Saint-Étienne, Saint-Étienne before making his ...
.
On 14 October 2011, Grenier signed a new contract tying him to the club until June 2014.
On 10 April 2012, during the semi-final of the Coupe de France against
Gazélec Ajaccio
Gazélec Football Club Ajaccio (), commonly referred to as GFC Ajaccio, GFCA, Gazélec Ajaccio or simply Gazélec (), is a French football club from Ajaccio, Corsica. Founded in 1910, Gazélec played one season in Ligue 1 in the 2015–16 seaso ...
, he scored his first goal with the professional team (4–0). He win the
Coupe de France
The Coupe de France (), also known in English language, English as the French Cup or less commonly as the France Cup, is the premier Single-elimination tournament, knockout cup competition in French football organised by the French Football Fed ...
on 28 April 2012 against Quevilly (1–0), entering the game for the last 24 minutes. This is his first professional trophy with Lyon. During the summer, he won the France Supercup in New York against Montpellier.
He scored his first goal in Ligue 1 against Valenciennes on 1 September 2012. On 17 February 2013, he scored a double against Bordeaux, his first in Ligue 1. In the spring of 2013, he helped his team win the third place in Ligue 1, which offers a place in the Champions League for the fourteenth time in fifteen years for Lyon. With a goal at the end of the game (93rd) in Montpellier on matchday 33, he gave OL a 2–1 victory. On matchday 37, he scores a long free kick in Nice to tie the game at 1–1. Finally, on the final matchday, he freed Gerland from a free-kick, his second consecutive, recalling those of
Juninho Pernambucano
Antônio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Júnior (born 30 January 1975), commonly known as Juninho Pernambucano or simply Juninho, is a Brazilian former professional Association football, footballer who was most recently the Director of football, sportin ...
, which then allowed Lyon to ensure the victory and thus to keep his third place after his success against Rennes (2–0). Clément Grenier then received a first convocation with the France national team.
Amid interest by
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
over his availability for transfer, Grenier extended his contract by a further two years on 11 June 2013.
On 29 January 2014, it was widely reported that
Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
club
Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...
had made a 'substantial' bid for Grenier. Grenier injured his abductors in March, with his recovery delayed by an infection. At the end of his recovery, he revealed that he was not far from losing the use of his legs. On 30 March, he was present in the stands during the loss in the Derby du Rhône to
Saint-Étienne
Saint-Étienne (; Franco-Provençal: ''Sant-Etiève''), also written St. Etienne, is a city and the prefecture of the Loire département, in eastern-central France, in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regi ...
and was suspended two matches for insulting the referee after the match front of the locker room. Grenier returned against
Marseille
Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
on but could not prevent a 4–2 defeat. On the last matchday of the season, his free kick set Bakary Koné up for the only goal in the game against
Nice
Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one millionEuropa League play-off match against
Astra Giurgiu
Asociația Fotbal Club Astra Giurgiu (), commonly known as Astra Giurgiu or simply Astra, was a Romanian football club last based in the city of Giurgiu, Giurgiu County. Founded in 1921 in Ploiești as ''Clubul Sportiv Astra-Română'', it spe ...
but left the pitch with the same groin injury that ruled him out of the latter part of the previous season and the
2014 World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...
at the final whistle. He returned to training in mid-November but couldn't play before April 2015 and returned on against Bastia and delivered an assist to Mohamed Yattara to help Lyon beat Bastia 2–0.
On 25 July 2015, in a pre-season match against
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
, he injured his leg in the first period and had to give up his place. Returning to Lyon to pass additional examinations, he learns that it suffers from a total rupture of the quadriceps of the left leg. He made his return on the pitch with the reserve team of Lyon at the end of November. A few days later, the offensive midfielder came into play in a 4–2 defeat against Montpellier. On 9 January 2016, the day of the inauguration of the new OL stadium, he served Lacazette who opened the scoring against
Troyes
Troyes () is a Communes of France, commune and the capital of the Departments of France, department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within ...
. On the 35th day, he scored an important free-kick against Toulouse which allowed OL to return to the game before winning 3–2 at the end of the game.
During the first part of the 2016–17 season, although not injured, he did not start any game and played only 35 minutes in Ligue 1 and 12 minutes in the Champions League.
Roma (loan)
On 28 January 2017, he joined Serie A side
Roma
Roma or ROMA may refer to:
People, characters, figures, names
* Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group living mostly in Europe and the Americas.
* Roma called Roy, ancient Egyptian High Priest of Amun
* Roma (footballer, born 1979), born ''Paul ...
on loan until the end of the 2016–17 season with an option for a permanent move. On 7 February 2017, Grenier made his debut for the ''Giallorossi'' in a 4–0 Serie A home win over
Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as Fiorentina (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Florence, Tuscany. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while ...
, appearing as a substitute for Radja Nainggolan in the 89th minute. On 12 March, he delivered an assist for
Stephan El Shaarawy
Stephan Kareem El Shaarawy (; born 27 October 1992) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a left winger for club Roma and the Italy national team. He is nicknamed Il Faraone (The Pharaoh), as his father is Egyptian.
El Shaarawy ...
in his first
Serie A
The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
start in a 3–0 away victory over
Palermo
Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...
. Grenier played only six competitive matches (all of them in Serie A) for Roma and started only one of them during his half-season loan spell there. On 14 June 2017, Lyon announced that Grenier would return to Lyon as a replacement of
Corentin Tolisso
Corentin Tolisso (born 3 August 1994) is a French professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Midfielder#Central midfielder, central midfielder for Ligue 1 club Olympique Lyonnais, Lyon.
A graduate of the Lyon academy, Tolisso ...
, as Roma did not excise their option to sign Grenier on a permanent basis.
Guingamp
On 31 January 2018, Grenier signed a year and a half contract with fellow Ligue 1 side
En Avant de Guingamp
En Avant Guingamp (, ), commonly referred to as EA Guingamp, EAG, or simply Guingamp (), is a French professional football club based in the commune of Guingamp, in France's Brittany region. The club was founded in 1912 and play in Ligue 2, ...
. On 11 May 2018, Grenier scored two goals, including a
penalty
Penalty, The Penalty, Penalization, Penalisation, Penalize or Penalise may refer to:
Sports
* Foul (sports)
** Penalty (golf)
** Penalty (gridiron football)
** Penalty (ice hockey)
** Penalty (rugby)
** Penalty (rugby union)
** Penalty kick (assoc ...
, in the 3–3 Ligue 1 home draw against Marseille.
Rennes
On 24 July 2018, Grenier signed a three-year contract with fellow
Breton
Breton most often refers to:
*anything associated with Brittany, and generally
**Breton people
**Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany
** Breton (horse), a breed
**Gale ...
team
Rennes
Rennes (; ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in Northwestern France at the confluence of the rivers Ille and Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the Brittany (administrative region), Brittany Regions of F ...
.
Mallorca
On 3 March 2022, Grenier signed a contract with
La Liga
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as the Primera División or La Liga, and officially known as LaLiga EA Sports for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Spain and the highest ...
side
Mallorca
Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest of the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain, and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, seventh largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.
The capital of the island, Palma, Majorca, Palma, i ...
until the end of the season. On 1 September 2023, he terminated his contract with the club.
Racing Santander
On 1 September 2023, hours after leaving Mallorca, Grenier signed a one-year deal with
Racing de Santander
Real Racing Club de Santander, S.A.D. (), also known as Racing de Santander () or simply Racing, is a football club based in Santander, Spain, Santander, Cantabria, Spain, that currently competes in Segunda División, the second tier of the Spani ...
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
on 13 March 2007. In the return match in Saint-Aubin-lès-Elbeuf, Grenier assisted on two goals in the team's 5–0 victory. He scored his first and only goal for the team on 3 April in the team's opening group stage match against Cameroon in the Montaigu Tournament. France won the match 2–0.
With the under-17 team, Grenier was a regular and scored on his debut in a 4–0 victory over
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
. Grenier scored a
hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three.
Origin
The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three Wick ...
in the team's 6–0 thrashing of
Albania
Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
in the first qualifying round of the
2008 UEFA European Under-17 Championship
The final tournament of the 2008 UEFA European Under-17 Championship was the 26th UEFA European Under-17 Championship, UEFA's premier football tournament for players under the age of 17. The tournament was held in Turkey from 4 to 16 May 2008. Pla ...
. At the
Algarve Cup
The Algarve Cup is an invitational tournament for national teams in women's association football hosted by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF). Held annually in the Algarve region of Portugal since 1994, it is one of the most prestigious and ...
in Portugal, he helped the team to second place by scoring a brace in the team's 4–2 win against
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
. Grenier scored his only goal against
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
in a second group stage match. France finished the round unbeaten and qualified for the tournament. During the Championship, Grenier scored in a 3–3 draw with
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
, converting on a curling free-kick in the 43rd minute. France later reached the final where they were defeated 4–0 by Spain.
With the under-18 team, Grenier made his debut in a match against
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
. Grenier failed to score in seven appearances.
For under-19 duty, Grenier was called up by coach Francis Smerecki, making his first appearance with the team at the 2009 edition of the Sendaï Cup. He scored his only goal for the team in the Tournio de Limoges against
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
in a 3–3 draw. On 7 June 2010, Grenier was named in the 18-man squad for the
2010 UEFA European Under-19 Championship
The 2010 UEFA European Under-19 Championship was the ninth edition of UEFA's European Under-19 Championship since it was renamed from the original under-18 event, in 2001. France hosted the championship during July. Ukraine were the title holders ...
. He missed a penalty in the opening 4–1 victory over the
Dutch
Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
** Dutch people as an ethnic group ()
** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship ()
** Dutch language ()
* In specific terms, i ...
. Despite missing the team's final two matches, Grenier became a European champion following a 2–1 comeback victory against
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
in the final. The title was the country's second UEFA Under-19 championship.
Due to France's victory at the UEFA Under-19 Championship, the nation qualified for the
2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup
The 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the 18th FIFA U-20 World Cup. Colombia hosted the tournament between 29 July and 20 August 2011, with matches being played in eight cities. The tournament was won by Brazil national under-20 football team, Brazil w ...
. On 7 October 2010, he made his debut with the under-20 team in a
friendly match
An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, scrimmage, demonstration, training match, pre-season game, warmup match, or preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sport, sporting event whose prize money and impact on th ...
against
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
. Grenier scored the equalising third goal in a 3–3 draw. On 9 February 2011, he scored the opening goal for France in a 2–1 win over
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. He appeared in two more matches with the team during the 2010–11 campaign. On 10 June 2011, Grenier was named in the 21-man squad for the U-20 World Cup. He made his tournament debut as a substitute in a 4–1 defeat to hosts
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
on 30 July 2011. He gave 3 assists during the competition as France finishes at the fourth place.
Senior
Grenier received his first senior call-up by
Didier Deschamps
Didier Claude Deschamps (; born 15 October 1968) is a French professional football manager and former player who has been managing the France national team since 2012. He played as a defensive midfielder for several clubs, in France, Italy, Engl ...
as a replacement for the injured
Samir Nasri
Samir Nasri (; born 26 June 1987) is a French former professional Association football, footballer. He primarily played as an attacking midfielder and a Winger (association football), winger, although he was also deployed in the Centre midfield ...
in May 2013. On 5 June 2013, he made his international debut in a friendly against
Uruguay
Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...
, earning his second cap against
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
a few days later.
On 13 May 2014, he was named in
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
's squad for the
2014 FIFA World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for list of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil fr ...
in Brazil. He withdrew with injury six days prior to the tournament and was replaced by
Morgan Schneiderlin
Morgan Fernand Gérard Schneiderlin (; born 8 November 1989) is a French former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.
Schneiderlin began his career with Strasbourg, before moving to England to join Southampton in June 20 ...
.
Career statistics
Club
International
:Source:
Honours
Lyon
*
Coupe de France
The Coupe de France (), also known in English language, English as the French Cup or less commonly as the France Cup, is the premier Single-elimination tournament, knockout cup competition in French football organised by the French Football Fed ...
Trophée des Champions
The Trophée des Champions (, ) is a French association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France. It is equivalent to the Super cup, super cups found in many other count ...
:
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...