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William Gallas

Gallas in 2018

Personal information

Full name

William Eric Gallas

Date of birth

17 August 1977 (age 47)

Place of birth

Asnières-sur-Seine, France

Height

1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)

Position(s)

Defender

Youth career

1987–1992

Villeneuve-la-Garenne

1992–1993

RCF Paris

1992–1994

INF Clairefontaine

1994–1995

Caen

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps

(Gls)

1995–1997

Caen

(0)

1997–2001

Marseille

(2)

2001–2006

Chelsea

159

(12)

2006–2010

Arsenal

101

(12)

2010–2013

Tottenham Hotspur

(1)

2013–2014

Perth Glory

(1)

Total

455

(28)

International career

1997

France U20

(0)

1997–1998

France U21

(0)

2002–2010

France

(5)

Medal record

FIFA Confederations Cup

Men's football
Representing France
Winner	2003
FIFA World Cup
Runner-up	2006

*Club domestic league appearances and goals

William Eric Gallas (born 17 August 1977) is a French football coach and former professional player. He played as a defender. William Gallas spent most of his career playing in France and England. He finished his playing days in Australia with the A-League club Perth Glory. Today, Gallas works as a youth team coach for the Hungarian club Zalaegerszegi TE.

Gallas started his football journey in France. In 2001, he joined the English club Chelsea. Later, in 2006, he moved to Arsenal as part of a player exchange. In 2010, he signed with Arsenal's rivals, Tottenham Hotspur. William Gallas officially retired from professional football on 16 October 2014.

About William Gallas
William Gallas's Club Career
William Gallas's International Career
Career Statistics
- Club Appearances
- International Appearances and Goals
Honours and Awards
See also

About William Gallas

William Gallas was born in Asnières-sur-Seine, France. He has family connections to other athletes. His cousin, Ludovic Quistin, was also a footballer. Another cousin, Mathieu Bastareaud, is a French rugby union player.

William Gallas's Club Career

Starting Out in France

William Gallas trained at the famous French football academy, Clairefontaine. He began his professional career at Caen, a club in the second division of French football. He helped Caen win promotion to the top league in 1996.

In 1997, Gallas moved to Marseille, where he played for four seasons. He made his first appearance in the UEFA Champions League with Marseille. He even scored his first European goal in a 1–0 win against Manchester United in October 1999.

Playing for Chelsea

William Gallas played for the Chelsea legends against Inter in a friendly match.

In 2001, Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri brought Gallas to the club for about £6.2 million. Gallas chose the number 13 shirt. At Chelsea, he often played as a central defender, forming strong partnerships with players like Marcel Desailly and John Terry. One time, his partnership with John Terry helped Chelsea go 16 games without letting opponents score. He also sometimes played as a left-back, showing how flexible he was.

Gallas made his first appearance for the French national team while playing for Chelsea. He joined Chelsea as a substitute in a game against Newcastle United in August 2001. His first goal for Chelsea came in an FA Cup match against Tottenham Hotspur. Chelsea reached the 2002 FA Cup Final that year, but they lost to Arsenal.

Gallas was a key part of the Chelsea team that won the Premier League title two years in a row. They also won the League Cup under manager José Mourinho. In the Champions League, Chelsea reached the semi-finals but were knocked out by Liverpool.

Gallas sometimes played out of his usual position due to injuries to other players. This made him a bit frustrated, but it also showed he could play well anywhere in the defense. He scored important goals against teams like Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, and Manchester United as Chelsea won the league title again in the 2005–06 Premier League season.

Towards the end of his contract, Gallas wanted to leave Chelsea. He expressed a desire to play in Italy. Chelsea did not want him to leave because he was an important player. After the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Gallas did not return to Chelsea for training. This led to his transfer to Arsenal.

Moving to Arsenal

Gallas applauding supporters

On 1 September 2006, Gallas moved to Arsenal. This was part of a deal that saw Ashley Cole go to Chelsea. Arsenal also received £5 million. Gallas signed a four-year contract with Arsenal and took the number 10 shirt, which had been worn by the famous player Dennis Bergkamp. The manager, Arsène Wenger, explained that giving a defender the number 10 shirt would avoid comparisons with Bergkamp for a new forward.

Gallas played his first game for Arsenal on 9 September 2006, as a left-back, in a 1–1 draw against Middlesbrough. He scored his first goal for Arsenal against Sheffield United on 23 September 2006.

On 9 August 2007, Gallas was named Arsenal's captain. His first game as captain was a 2–1 win against Fulham. In November 2007, he scored an own goal against Manchester United, but then scored an equalizer in injury time, making the game a 2–2 draw. He also scored against his old club Chelsea in December, helping Arsenal win 1–0.

In February 2008, during a game against Birmingham City, Gallas showed his frustration after a penalty was given against Arsenal in injury time. He sat on the pitch after the game, upset by the result. Despite this, he remained captain for the 2008–09 season.

In the 2008–09 season, Gallas scored six goals in the Champions League. He also scored a goal against Tottenham in a thrilling 4–4 draw. In November 2008, Gallas spoke about some disagreements within the team. Because of this, he was removed as captain, and Cesc Fàbregas took over. However, Gallas continued to play for the club.

In April 2009, Gallas suffered a knee injury that ended his season early. He returned strong for the 2009–10 season, scoring three goals in his first three games. He formed a good partnership with fellow defender Thomas Vermaelen. Gallas played his 100th league game for Arsenal in February 2010. After talks about a new contract failed, Gallas left Arsenal as a free agent in the summer of 2010. He had played 142 games and scored 17 goals for the club.

Joining Tottenham Hotspur

Gallas (left) defending Cesc Fàbregas, 2010

On 20 August 2010, William Gallas joined Tottenham Hotspur, signing a one-year contract. This move was notable because it made him the first player to have played for Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham.

Gallas made his debut for Tottenham on 11 September in a 1–1 draw against West Bromwich Albion. On 20 November, he captained Tottenham for the first time against his former club Arsenal. Tottenham won that game 3–2, which was their first league victory at Arsenal since 1993. Gallas continued to play well for Tottenham, especially in the Champions League knockout stages.

After a strong first season, Gallas was given a two-year contract extension in March 2011. He played 36 games in all competitions during his first season with Spurs. In the 2011–12 Premier League and following season, Gallas faced some injuries, which limited his playing time. He scored his first goal for Tottenham in a 4–2 defeat against his old club Chelsea. On 7 June 2013, Gallas was released from Tottenham.

Playing in Australia with Perth Glory

On 23 October 2013, Gallas signed a one-year deal with Perth Glory in Australia. He became the first French player to play in the Australian A-League. Gallas joined other international players like Alessandro Del Piero and Emile Heskey who also came to the league.

Gallas made his debut for Perth Glory in November 2013. He scored his first goal for the club in a 1–1 draw against Wellington Phoenix. After the end of the 2013–14 A-League season, Gallas retired from professional football. He had played 14 games and scored one goal for Perth Glory.

William Gallas's International Career

Gallas with France at UEFA Euro 2008

William Gallas was part of the France Under-18 team that won the European Championship. He also played for the France U-20 team in the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship. Many famous players were on that team, including Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet.

In October 2002, Gallas made his debut for the France senior team in a qualifying match for UEFA Euro 2004. He was part of France's squad that won the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup. He also played for France in UEFA Euro 2004, where they were knocked out by Greece. In August 2005, Gallas scored his first goal for the national team in a friendly game.

Gallas played a big role as France reached the final of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. They lost to Italy in a penalty shootout. In September 2006, he earned his 50th cap for France in a win against Italy. At UEFA Euro 2008, Gallas was a regular starter, but France was eliminated in the group stage.

In November 2009, Gallas scored a goal that helped France qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The goal came against the Republic of Ireland in extra time. The goal was scored after his teammate, Thierry Henry, handled the ball.

Gallas was included in France's squad for the 2010 World Cup. The tournament was challenging for France, with some internal disagreements within the team. After the tournament, Gallas retired from international football on 6 June 2011. He had played 84 games and scored 5 goals for France. Gallas was also eligible to play for Guadeloupe, as they are not part of FIFA. His cousin, Ludovic Quistin, played for Guadeloupe.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Caen	1995–96	Division 2	16	0	0	0	3	0	–		–		19	0
	1996–97	Division 1	18	0	3	0	0	0	–		–		21	0
	Total		34	0	3	0	3	0	–		–		40	0
Marseille	1997–98	Division 1	3	0	0	0	0	0	–		–		3	0
	1998–99	Division 1	30	0	0	0	3	0	9	0	–		42	0
	1999–2000	Division 1	22	0	0	0	2	0	7	1	–		31	1
	2000–01	Division 1	30	2	0	0	2	0	–		–		32	2
	Total		85	2	0	0	7	0	16	1	–		108	3
Chelsea	2001–02	Premier League	30	1	4	1	4	0	3	0	–		41	2
	2002–03	Premier League	38	4	5	0	3	0	2	0	–		48	4
	2003–04	Premier League	29	0	4	0	1	0	11	1	–		45	1
	2004–05	Premier League	28	2	1	0	5	0	12	0	–		46	2
	2005–06	Premier League	34	5	3	0	0	0	7	0	1	0	45	5
	Total		159	12	17	1	13	0	35	1	1	0	225	14
Arsenal	2006–07	Premier League	21	3	2	0	0	0	6	0	–		29	3
	2007–08	Premier League	31	4	2	0	1	0	8	0	–		42	4
	2008–09	Premier League	23	2	4	1	0	0	9	3	–		36	6
	2009–10	Premier League	26	3	1	0	0	0	8	1	–		35	4
	Total		101	12	9	1	1	0	31	4	–		142	17
Tottenham Hotspur	2010–11	Premier League	27	0	1	0	0	0	8	0	–		36	0
	2011–12	Premier League	15	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	–		18	0
	2012–13	Premier League	19	1	0	0	0	0	5	0	–		24	1
	Total		61	1	2	0	0	0	15	0	–		78	1
Perth Glory	2013–14	A-League	15	1	–		–		–		–		15	1
Career total			455	28	31	2	24	0	97	6	1	0	608	36

International Appearances and Goals

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
France	2002	3	0
	2003	8	0
	2004	15	0
	2005	11	1
	2006	15	1
	2007	7	0
	2008	10	0
	2009	9	2
	2010	6	1
Total		84	5

International Goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	17 August 2005	Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier, France	Ivory Coast	1–0	3–0	Friendly
2	16 August 2006	Koševo Stadium, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina	Bosnia and Herzegovina	1–1	1–2	Friendly
3	10 October 2009	Stade du Roudourou, Guingamp, France	Faroe Islands	3–0	5–0	2010 World Cup qualification
4	18 November 2009	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	Republic of Ireland	1–1	1–1	2010 World Cup qualification
5	30 May 2010	Stade 7 Novembre, Radès, Tunisia	Tunisia	1–1	1–1	Friendly