stripped of captaincy

William Gallas has been stripped of the Arsenal captaincy and will not play against Manchester City, according to Sky Sports News sources.

The move comes after Gallas spoke of unrest in the Arsenal camp on Thursday, including details of a bust-up during half-time in the recent 4-4 draw with Tottenham.

A number of former players have been quick to criticise Gallas for the outburst and it now appears as though Arsene Wenger has acted quickly to discipline the Frenchman.

It is understood that Gallas, who was handed the armband at the start of last season, will not travel with the rest of the squad ahead of Saturday's game at Man City.

The latest development raises doubts about Gallas' future with the club, just two years after he joined the Gunners from Chelsea.

Arsenal have yet to confirm the news but reports suggest that goalkeeper Manuel Almunia will lead out the side against City.



Gallas admits to French hope

Under-fire Arsenal skipper William Gallas has admitted that he hopes to end his career back in France.

The 31-year-old left his homeland in 2001 when he joined Chelsea, but is eyeing a return.

He accepts that his playing days are drawing to a close and would like to work in familiar surroundings before hanging up his boots.

There is no suggestion that he is imminently seeking a move to a top Ligue 1 outfit, but in the aftermath of his recent allegations regarding unrest in the Arsenal dressing room he did admit to being unsure as to where his future may lie.

Happy

"It's true that I'd like to return to France for one or perhaps two seasons to finish my career," Gallas told the Evening Standard.

"But if I go it won't be to just anywhere. I'd go to a big club or nowhere at all. The choices look simple to me - it would be Marseille, Lyon, Paris St Germain or, let's not forget, Bordeaux.

"PSG are a massive club and known everywhere. I've stayed in contact with Claude Makelele and he's told me that he's pretty happy to be in Paris. He feels he's getting the respect he deserves from everyone."

While on the subject of respect, Gallas has caused another storm by revealing details of a training ground bust-up he had with a junior member of the France squad at Euro 2008.

The volatile defender has told of how he felt an unnamed youngster was disrespecting the older members of the side, and later made the culprit well aware of his opinion.

Contempt

"I was also 20-years-old once. I would never have allowed myself to speak in this tone to a footballer who was older than me," Gallas said in his autobiography.

He added: "The youngsters from the Euros seem cheeky, very sure of themselves. They think they know it all, but they don't know anything.

"Faced with his contempt, I raised my voice. The young player said: 'Lower your voice, speak less loudly'.

"I replied: 'How are you speaking to me? Who do you think you are? You are only 20-years-old. I am not your friend.

"He said: 'Me neither, I am not your friend'."


Ade backs Cesc for captain

Emmanuel Adebayor has told skysports.com that he believes Cesc Fabregas could captain Arsenal.

Fabregas has enjoyed a dramatic rise since he signed for the Gunners as a teenager from Barcelona in 2003.

The 21-year-old has already recorded over 200 appearances in an Arsenal shirt, netting 27 goals from midfield.

During the summer, Fabregas was tipped to rival current skipper William Gallas for the armband, but manager Arsene Wenger stood by the French defender.

However, Gallas' position has again been called into question following controversial revelations on Thursday, leading to doubts over whether he will captain the Gunners in the long-term.

Adebayor, who has played alongside Fabregas for two years, has praised the diminutive schemer's character and has backed him to one day lead out his team-mates.

"He's got the character. He can be Arsenal captain in the future, for sure. He is a good person," the Togolese told skysports.com at the launch of FIFA 09 from EA SPORTS.

"He's one of the best midfielders in the world. I think everyone knows that. He's a very good player and he is enjoying himself at Arsenal."

Adebayor made his comments prior to Gallas' outburst, which came during an interview given while on international duty with France

The Frenchman is disappointed he has been made a scapegoat for problems at Arsenal and has now explained of unrest in the Emirates Stadium camp.

He also revealed a bust-up at half-time during the 4-4 draw with rivals Tottenham Hotspur - a match Arsenal were winning 4-2 with just minutes remaining.

Fans have been calling for Gallas to be replaced as skipper with more than 80 per cent in a skysports.com poll wanting the defender to give up the captain's armband.

He's pathetic.

Get him out of the club, the're better center backs anyway.

He never should have been given it.

Give the armband to Fabregas or Toure

hes gonna be sold in january now, and im starting to believe those stories which said he would threaten to score own goals if he wasnt moved to arsenal while at chelsea

prick.

big baby

cunt.

3 descriptions of the dickhead oh 4

Funny thing is, this time he was actually right. lol

yes, but hes a piss poor captain so its his job to get em fighting or whatever

oh he got em fighting lol

he done a good job against man u when Almunia got injured he went round the team telling them what to do he was a good skipper that match

i think toure should be our skipper

isnt he diseasead

Gallas = twat

Yes, he may have been right about what he said, but he could have kept his opinions within the club and not go to the media. Bad professional and an even poorer captain.

He will definately go in January now, probably to PSG with Makelele and good riddance I say. Fabregas should be new captain or maybe Toure.

he was bloody quality when he played for chelsea, everything has gone downhill for him since he moved, never thought hewas captain material anyhow.

C4lum wrote:

he was bloody quality when he played for chelsea, everything has gone downhill for him since he moved, never thought hewas captain material anyhow.

i will score own goals at you.



anyway, nothign seems to have affected the arsenal players over the past week anyway

Theyre kids and kids will squabble. Of course if they had four or five experienced guys in there to guide and discipline them they probably wouldnt have a problem. But Wenger wants to stick by his pre-pubescent players

Seems his blindness to his teams fouling and diving seems to have spread into his teams petty fighting too.

Yes Gallas was wrong to come out and say what he did (hes French and the French are a bunch of bloody drama queens after all) but to be fair a good manager would never allowed this kind of situation to arise.

As much as I love watching the Arsenal play, I lay he blame at the door of Arsene Wenger!

I suppose that would be considered sacralige coming from a Gooner but from the outside looking it you just want to give Wenger a shake, its obvious that his team need at least 4 experianced players who have won a major honour in either Spain, England Italy or in Europe, they need guys who have been over the course, guys who will get the best out of the team and guys who will allow the younger players more freedom to express themselves while they shoulder most of the responsibility.

Senna from Villareal would have been great signing and still could and would be!
Ribery is another that probably should have been bought, I think he would have jumped at the chance to go there as well.
Depending on whats going on with Carlos Tevez he should be another that is looked at although if United want to keep him then I think that would end any real hope

Guys who know what its like to be successful and have won things!

King Sexton wrote:

anyway, nothign seems to have affected the arsenal players over the past week anyway

he was right in what he said it proved it Saturday leaving out the team