Gullit damaged Chelsea's team spirit by ousting Peacock... and now Malouda's exclusion is doing the same



Back in 1996, Chelsea manager Ruud Gullit banished Gavin Peacock from all first team activities and told the midfielder to train with the kids.

The club’s new coach didn’t fancy Peacock, a decent Premier League midfielder, and had already replaced him in the team with Roberto Di Matteo.

Gullit’s decision to isolate Peacock wasn’t welcomed by the established first team players and the decision began to affect morale among the players.

Although they respected Gullit’s professional judgement, Peacock was a popular and hard-working member of the squad.

Ostracised: In 1996, Chelsea manager Ruud Gullit banished Gavin Peacock (below right) to train with the kids, a move which affected morale at the club

He was a dedicated professional and his team-mates believed that excluding him from the top table was damaging team spirit and unity.

Eventually Dennis Wise, Chelsea’s captain at the time, approached Gullit and gave a number of reasons why Peacock should return to the first team.

Gullit accepted the views of the senior players and relented, allowing Peacock to train with the first team until he found another club.

Judging by the murmurings at Chelsea’s training ground this week, Florent Malouda’s enforced exclusion is affecting the spirit among the players.

No-one at the club can understand why a player of his pedigree has been forced to change in the academy building and train with the kids.

Malouda is no world beater, but he has been a decent player for Chelsea over the years.

He has scored 35 goals in the Barclays Premier League in 149 appearances, a reasonable return from his position on the left wing.

On his debut, under Jose Mourinho in 2007, he scored a sweet goal in the Community Shield against Manchester United at Wembley.

He was part of the Chelsea team who finally lifted the Champions League last season after coming on as a substitute for Ryan Bertrand in the final against Bayern Munich.

The French winger is in his seventh season at Chelsea, winning the Premier League under Carlo Ancelotti in 2010 and lifting three FA Cups since his move from Lyon.

He was also a popular member of the Chelsea squad, loyal to his team-mates during some turbulent times in the Roman Abramovich era.

European champion: Florent Malouda (right) poses with Didier Drogba after a sensational Champions League victory in Munich

It is incredible to think that the decision to kick him out of the first team training facility relates to an aborted move to Mexico in the summer.

Malouda, who was about to enter the final year of his contract, had been in talks with clubs in North America over the summer.

Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay, who initially indicated that the contracts of Malouda, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard would be renewed after the European Cup win, was over-ruled.

Malouda, who turned 32 last June, could leave Chelsea and was free to find another club.

After his move to Mexico fell through, Malouda was told he was no longer welcome to train with the first team.

He has been isolated all season, a move that has not sit easily with Chelsea’s players.

At the beginning of the season he tweeted a picture of the academy building, his home until his contract expires at the end of the season.

Chelsea have been here before, causing uproar last December when Nicolas Anelka and Alex were told they could no longer train with the first team.

Popular figure: Malouda is well-liked among his Chelsea peers and his demotion is a mystery

They even had their car park privileges taken away from them and were sent to train with the youth team until they moved on in the January transfer window.

Malouda has met the same fate, no longer in daily contact with the first team professionals he still considers to be his friends.

Last week he revealed that he has never met Rafa Benitez, Chelsea’s interim manager.

It seems remarkable that Benitez, with his track record and pedigree, cannot call upon an established, senior player to be part of his squad.

Touchy feely: Chelsea boss Rafa Benitez gets to grips with new signing Demba Ba (right), but there has been no contact between the Chelsea boss and Malouda

When Benitez was appointed in November, he was told by technical director Michael Emenalo that Malouda would not be available for selection.

Since then he has continued to train with the kids, fulfilling his contractual obligations until the end of the season.

Malouda’s not a bad guy and it’s taking some guts for him to get through this season by spending it with the development squad.