da bet nacional： The number 10 is one of the most iconic shirts in the history of Arsenal.
da bet esporte： Greats of the club such as Charlie George, Perry Groves and Dennis Bergkamp all donned the famous shirt, and in doing so became legends of Arsenal. But if you were to ask Arsenal fans to name the player who brought the shirt and number the most shame during their spell in north London, the same player will be said time and time again.
William Gallas is, without question, one of the most infamous players to ever play for Arsenal. The French defender, who joined the club as part of a swap-deal with academy product and Invincible Ashley Cole, had come to north London already with a poor reputation and his former club Chelsea.
Stories had circulated that the defender threatened to score own goals if he was not allowed to leave the club, and Gallas said Chelsea were “lacking class” when the accusations were brought forward.
Gallas’ prior reputation of being outspoken and rash might have gone down well with the Arsenal fans, however, the decision to give him the number 10 shirt, previously worn by club legend Bergkamp, was a sign of things to come.
A poor first season that saw the Gunners finish fourth in the league and dumped out from the Champions League Round of 16 by PSV a season after they made the final saw dramatic changes to the club the following campaign. Record goalscorer Thierry Henry moved to Barcelona and fellow members of the Invisible team left as well in the form of Freddie Ljungberg and Jose Antonio Reyes.
To make matters worse, Gallas was appointed captain by Arsene Wenger, a decision that angered the Arsenal fans as it was widely expected that Gilberto Silva was to take the captain’s armband following the departure of Henry and something the former Arsenal goalkeeper admitted was something that cost the club in the long-term, saying in the Telegraph “We had learned of his appointment in the papers and we all shook our heads.”
Gallas would captain Arsenal during some of the most unforgettable years in their history. As well as confronting Birmingham City fans following a 2-2 draw that saw striker Eduardo suffer a broken leg, something Gunners fans point to as the reason the club didn’t win the title that season, the Frenchman would go on to lose the captains armband in November 2008 following a verbal attack on teammates.
At the end of his four-year contract with the Gunners, Gallas made the move to north London rivals Tottenham on a free transfer.
It’s a testament to his reputation and time at Arsenal that the defender is despised by the fans for his actions with the Gunners, and not for his decision to move to Spurs.