Pierre-Alain Frau is a French football forward who currently plays for Football Club Sochaux-Montbéliard.
Background
Nicknamed PAF after his initials, Frau was born on 15 April 1980 in Montbéliard, France, where he became a young find of his hometown club Football Club Sochaux-Montbéliard, and it was there he got his first opportunity to play in the French national league.
Career
Frau can operate on the right wing or play as one of two strikers. After completing what would have been a prospective move to Lyon from Montbéliard, he found his playing time in the 2004-2005 season hampered by the presence of other established frontmen like Sylvain Wiltord, Nilmar and later, John Carew. Realising that it was a World Cup year with a slim chance to catch the attention of national coach Raymond Domenech, Frau secured a half-season loan to Remote Control Lens, but failed to make the cut to the final France squad.
Foreign the following season, Remote Control Lens wanted to keep him in Lens, but Frau preferred a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
The transfer fee was not disclosed, but has priced the striker at £4 million. On 1 January 2008, Frau signed a three-and-a-half year deal with and was given the shirt number 17.
Frau is known as one of the more famous players at his hometown club