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| {{Football player infobox | |||
| ⚫ | </small>]] | ||
| | playername= William Gallas | |||
| ⚫ | | image = </small>]] | ||
| | fullname = William Gallas | |||
| | height = 181 cm | |||
| | nickname = | |||
| | dateofbirth = ], ] | |||
| | cityofbirth = ] | |||
| | countryofbirth = ] | |||
| | currentclub = ] | |||
| | clubcrest = | |||
| | clubnumber = | |||
| | position = Defender | |||
| | youthyears = | |||
| | youthclubs = | |||
| | years = ]-]<br>]-]<br>]-present | |||
| | clubs = ]<br>]<br>] | |||
| | caps(goals) = 34 (0)<br>101 (3)<br>194 (13) | |||
| | nationalyears = ]- | |||
| | nationalteam = ] | |||
| | nationalcaps(goals) = 30 (0) | |||
| | pcupdate = June 9, 2006 | |||
| | ntupdate = May 30, 2006 | |||
| }} | |||
| '''William Gallas''', (born ] ] in ]), is a ] ] who plays for ] in the ]. He wears the number 13 shirt and is a ] who prefers to play in the centre, but he can also play at full-back on either side of the pitch. | '''William Gallas''', (born ] ] in ]), is a ] ] who plays for ] in the ]. He wears the number 13 shirt and is a ] who prefers to play in the centre, but he can also play at full-back on either side of the pitch. | ||
Revision as of 07:59, 19 June 2006
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Gallas | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
| Current team | Chelsea F.C. | ||
| ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of May 30, 2006 | |||
William Gallas, (born August 17 1977 in Asnières-sur-Seine), is a French footballer who plays for Chelsea F.C. in the English Premier League. He wears the number 13 shirt and is a defender who prefers to play in the centre, but he can also play at full-back on either side of the pitch.
He was bought by Claudio Ranieri from Marseille in May 2001 for £6.2 million. Under Ranieri, Gallas developed centre back partnerships with Marcel Desailly and later with John Terry and also played at right-back sometimes. William has developed into a fantastic defender, and his partnership with John Terry at the centre of Chelsea's defence is one of the most formidable in the world, they once went an exceptional 16 games together without conceding a single goal. His main attributes are his ability to mark players and read the game, but his most prized asset is his pace, being able to keep up with the likes of Thierry Henry. This makes William the perfect partner for the more solid and hard tackling Terry but with ability like his, he would fit into any team with ease.
Because of the recent injury to Wayne Bridge, Gallas was forced to play out of position at left-back during the later part of the 2004/2005 season, something he grew frustrated at as he prefers to play in the centre of defence. Because of this he has been linked with clubs such as Arsenal and Barcelona but since José Mourinho's purchase of Asier Del Horno from Athletic Bilbao for £13 million, Gallas has retaken his role along side John Terry in the centre-back position.
In perhaps one of the most defining moments of Chelsea's 2005/2006 season, Gallas scored a stunning goal in injury time on 11th March, 2006, against Tottenham Hotspur to win Chelsea the game against their London rivals. With scores level at one goal each, Gallas pivoted around the defender, sidestepped around and launched a 30-yard screamer, while falling backwards, off his right boot, which sailed past goalkeeper Paul Robinson and into the net.
He also scored the first goal, in the 5th minute of play, against Manchester United in their Premiership clash which led to Chelsea winning 3-0 to win the title for the second consecutive season.
It is speculated that Gallas may be leaving Chelsea in the summer of 2006. Gallas has stated that he wishes to leave Chelsea for either Italy or Spain, after spending five years in England. Originally, it was thought that he would be used as part-exchange for Andriy Shevchenko. However, this failed to happen. As Gallas' contract would expire in the summer of 2007, it is thought that clubs interested in Gallas' services (particularly Milan and Barcelona) would wait out the 2006-2007 season before signing Gallas on a free transfer; it is also thought that such a situation would be comfortable with Chelsea, who do not need any money from selling Gallas, and want to keep Gallas in their team for 2006-2007 as they pursue a third consecutive English Premier League title and mount their strongest challenge yet on the UEFA Champions League.
However some have speculated that such a situation may not necessarily work out in favour of clubs like Milan and Barcelona. Many things may change in the situation of the player and the clubs over the course of the season, and it is possible that Gallas may decide to pledge his future to Chelsea by signing a new contract. Many point to the example of Thierry Henry, who had seemed destined for Barcelona at the end of the 2005-2006 season, but signed a new contract with Arsenal in May 2006 after being convinced that the London club was on the right track to developing a strong team that would be able to challenge for championships.
Certain hints, such as the fact that Michael Ballack, who prefers the shirt number 13 (which he wears for Germany, in honour of his boyhood idol Gerd Muller, and currently held by Gallas at Chelsea), has not received a formal number (in contrast to Andriy Shevchenko, who has received shirt number 7, which he has worn for Dynamo Kyiv, Milan, and Ukraine), leave Gallas' future at Stamford Bridge very much in doubt. Sources close to Gallas (including French national team team-mate Lilian Thuram) have said that Gallas is a player who prides himself on his professionalism and will play his best for Chelsea in 2006-2007 even if he does not obtain the transfer that he is seeking.
International
Gallas is also a regular member of the French national team, making his full France debut in a 5-0 demolition of Slovenia in a Euro 2004 qualifier in October 2002. He then played for his country in that tournament's finals. He also played for France junior team in 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship.
Gallas is a member of the squad that is representing France at the 2006 World Cup.
External links
- FootballDatabase profile and stats
- BBC profile
- Statistics at soccerbase.com
- Profile at 4thegame.com
| France squad – 2006 FIFA World Cup runners-up | ||
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| Chelsea F.C. – current squad | |
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