Gilles Grimandi - TheSportsDB.com

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Name
Gilles Grimandi

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Complete

50%

Born
1970 (53 years old)

Birth Place

Gap, France

Position
Defensive Midfield

Status

Ethnicity
White

Team Number

Height
180 cm

Outfitter

Kit

Side

Agent

Wage Year

Player Cutout

Player Action Render

Sport

Soccer

Team
_Retired Soccer

2nd Team

League
_No League Soccer

Creative Commons Artwork
No

Description
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Gilles Grimandi (born 11 November 1970) is a French former professional footballer who played as a centre back or midfielder.

In his playing career, he went from hometown team Gap to top-flight Monaco before arriving at Arsenal of the Premier League in 1997. He won two league-and-cup doubles with them before leaving in 2002.

Born in Gap, Hautes-Alpes, France Grimandi began his professional career with Monaco in 1990 and made his first-team debut in 1991 against AS Nancy in Division 1. His career briefly interrupted by French military service, he went on to make 67 appearances and score three goals for the club, mostly as a centre back. He helped the club reach both a UEFA Champions League and a UEFA Cup semifinal, and won the league title in 1996–97.

The following season, Grimandi left to join his former manager Arsène Wenger at Arsenal, making his debut at Elland Road against Leeds United, and helped achieve The Double in his first season. He made 113 league appearances as a midfielder, centre back, and right wingback, winning a second Double in his final season (2001–02) with the club.

Grimandi signed with the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer on 8 January 2003, after turning down an offer from Middlesbrough. Grimandi was the first Frenchman to sign for MLS, and played a pre-season friendly against Santos Laguna of Mexico on 12 March. On 30 April he quit the club for family reasons to return to France. The Rapids' management described themselves as "deeply saddened" by his decision.