Professional Football Players' Association (PFA) chief Gordon Taylor admonished Chelsea for executing their feud with William Gallas in the public eye. "Why do they have to wash their dirty linen in public? I do not see what purpose it serves," said Taylor. Chelsea made a claim on their official website that Gallas refused to play in one game and threatened to score an own goal unless Chelsea let him leave the club. Gallas denied the Premiership champions' claims, but the accusation has lit a fire in the football community, one which Taylor feels is slander. "Talking about someone threatening to put through their own goal is very damaging to the reputation of a player who has done a great job for Chelsea, and you really have to take it with a large pinch of salt," he lamented. The relationship between Gallas and his English club soured after a summer of transfer rumors. Last week, the 29-year-old player signed for Arsenal as part of a deal that saw defender Ashley Cole making a move to Stamford Bridge. Nevertheless, Chelsea lashed out at Gallas, who has been with the club for five years. Taylor supported the French defender and praised his commitment to his teammates.
Cole "We have all seen William Gallas play and he has too much respect for his colleagues to even be thinking about such things. "The player has, of course, refuted the allegations and has a choice now of whether to go to court, or to just get on with his football career," he said. Despite gaining a world class player in the swap, Chelsea were clearly uneasy about the move and Taylor expressed regret at how the club chose to deal with their disappointment. "It just all leaves a bad taste in the mouth and I cannot see what Chelsea were hoping to achieve," he said. Taylor believes that while the damage has been done its time for Chelsea to put their actions and the loss of Gallas behind them, and enjoy their new signing. "It would have been nice to say, Okay, things did not work out well in the end, we appreciate what you did while you were with us in winning championships and let's move on'," Taylor said. "Chelsea have now got another good player in Ashley Cole through the swap deal. "They should be remembering what William did for the club in winning two championships. "No-one should have any complaints and they should all move on."
