This Tuesday afternoon at the Marville center, Grégory Dupont was presented to the Red Star group before their training. Obviously, given his CV which includes the title of 2018 world champion in the staff of the France team and a stint at Real Madrid with Zinedine Zidane between 2019 and 2021, some already knew him by reputation. At 52, the Northerner, until now well-known in the field of physical preparation and performance, arrives at Red Star with a more extensive role as director of Football.
After a mission in Rennes, via his company FELIS (which “puts science and innovation at the service of sporting performance and health”), he was approached by FC Nantes at the end of 2024. But he declined. “I had offers from Ligue 1 clubs, but as a physical trainer,” he explains. But I had reached a point in my career where it was the right time to take a step forward and see something else. After my two experiences as a physical trainer with the French team and Real Madrid, it’s difficult to go above and beyond. »
“Thanks to him, I saw that football was knowledge”
The connection with the Seine-Saint-Denis club was made through its general director, Pauline Gamerre, who knew him when she worked at the French Football Federation. “If the Pauline before is different than the one who returned to Red Star (last year), it’s because in the meantime, I worked with Greg (Dupont), she explains. Thanks to him, I saw that football was knowledge. He has a doctorate in sports science. We meet very few people who have this conception of football. I always said to myself: If one day I work in a club again, I will do everything to try to get him to come. He will have a strategic decision-making position where he will implement his knowledge. »
“With Pauline, we imagined the ideal club for a long time during our long discussions,” says Grégory Dupont. We talked a lot. After 180 calls and 250 messages from him (smile)we agreed. » If, from the outside, the Red Star seemed to be swimming in limbo, between a sale which is not moving forward, the work on the Bauer stadium stopped and the departure of sports director Reda Hammache for Caen (L2), the Audonian management provides a strong sign with this arrival.
“Football is first and foremost a story of encounters,” explains president Patrice Haddad. I always considered that nothing was inaccessible, so I didn’t question whether or not it was possible to bring someone like him to Red Star. But it’s not all the ostentatious side, the French team, Real that interested us… What we looked at was his perception and his vision of a club culture, of its identity and of its territory. Afterwards, people outside can think what they want, but internally, we move forward, we work. »
-“Few people among us have this high-level experience”
With the expertise of Grégory Dupont, the Red Star ― whose flagship team occupies 13th place in L2 after the 18th day ― hopes to continue to grow. “It’s not a new cycle that’s starting, it’s just a new stage,” continues Patrice Haddad. Few people among us have this high-level experience. So we went looking for someone knowledgeable (sic) who will save us time. He will be in the analysis, the support of the staff who are requesting and the setting up of the training center which we want to make very strong. Our center must become Red Star’s war chest for the next ten years. »
“He is a man of projects. There is not a person in the world of football who would go from Real Madrid to Red Star, believes Pauline Gamerre. This reflects their personality and says a lot about the person’s mentality. » Also a former physical trainer for Lille, Grégory Dupont maintains a very strong relationship with Celtic Glasgow (Scottish D1) where he was responsible for the sports science department.
“It’s my favorite club, I always work with them. It is an institution which has very strong values of humility, sharing and an exceptional history. It strongly resembles the Red Star,” considers Grégory Dupont. “His experience at Celtic will necessarily be beneficial to Red Star because there are similarities with our club, in particular its social role and in the territory,” explains Patrice Haddad.
The new director of football at Red Star says he is “very motivated and enthusiastic” about the idea of starting his new missions in a club with which he shares “the same human values”. “It will be more of an evolution than a revolution. I will first observe, meet people, immerse myself in the functioning of the club before putting in place an action plan,” he concludes.
