Gallas statement

Chelsea Football Club has the following statement regarding the William Gallas situation.

William Gallas will not be joining up with Chelsea FC on the pre-season tour of the United States.

Gallas was due to join the team with the other Chelsea players who participated in the World Cup semi-finals and Final.

William requested extra time off following the World Cup but was informed he should still report to Los Angeles on the date previously agreed with him. He did not report and further action will now be considered by the club as a consequence.

Pre-season training and the tour is about building team spirit among our squad and extra leave is only granted for valid football-related reasons.

Discussions between Chelsea and William about a new contract are already well documented and ongoing. He has one year left on his current contract.