Chelsea PR Machine Has Gunner Gallas in its Sights
Anyone still in any doubt about - and unsure of the origins of - the William Gallas affair should look no further than the name of the man more than happy to undertake a succession of national media interviews – Chelsea Director of communications Simon Greenberg.
Greenberg knows that information is power. Gallas reportedly said he’d “score an own goal if selected” as he engineered his departure from the club. It was probably a flippant heat-of-the-moment aside – but in the CFC corridors of power it has been noted, remembered and offered up to the media giving them exactly what they love best – a dirty scrap.
The information has been rehashed and served up to inflict maximum irritation to Chelsea’s arch rivals Arsenal. And the media tactics might even cause Gallas to lose his focus if he plays when the sides meet later in the season - surely one of the main aims.
Arsenal – to their credit – have resisted the temptation to get involved (for now at least!) For me, Chelsea come out of this looking particularly petulant. I remember when football matches were won and lost on the pitch – not in news print. It would never happen in Finney’s day.
As a ‘PR professional’ the only mildly sad observation is that all this spin shenanigans really detracts from the good work so many PR consultant do for their clients – see links on the right ;)
