Éric Daniel Pierre Cantona (French:Éric;[4]pronounced[e.ʁikdan.jɛlpjɛʁkɑ̃.tɔ.na]; born 24 May 1966) is a French former professionalfootballer who is currently an actor. In his football career, Cantona was a physically strong and technically skilful player with both creative and goalscoring ability. Mostly utilised as adeep-lying forward, he was also capable of playing as acentre-forward, as adedicated striker, as anattacking midfielder, or as acentral midfielder. Regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, he was named byPelé in theFIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players in 2004.[5][6][7]
Cantona played forAuxerre,Martigues,Marseille,Bordeaux,Montpellier,Nîmes andLeeds United, before ending his career atManchester United, with whom he won fourPremier League titles in five years, including twoLeague and FA Cup Doubles. He wore the iconic number 7 shirt at Manchester United and was known for turning up his collar. He is affectionately nicknamed "King Eric" by Manchester United fans. Cantona won league championships in England and France in seven of his last eight full seasons as a professional, and at least one trophy in eight of his last nine. At international level, he played for theFrance national team and scored 20 goals in 45 matches. He appeared atUEFA Euro 1992 and, in preparation forEuro 96, was appointed captain in 1994.
In 2003, Cantona was voted as Manchester United's greatest-ever player byInside United magazine. He was an inaugural inductee into theEnglish Football Hall of Fame in 2002. At thePremier League 10 Seasons Awards in 2003, he was voted theOverseas Player of the Decade. Cantona was inducted into thePremier League Hall of Fame in 2021. Charismatic and outspoken, Cantona's achievements in football were set against fallings out with coaches and team-mates, and a poor disciplinary record throughout his career, including a 1995 conviction for an assault on an abusive spectator, for which he received a two-week prison sentence, reduced to community service on appeal, and an eight-month suspension from football – preventing him from participating at Euro 96.
Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona[9] was born inMarseille on 24 May 1966,[10] the son of dressmaker Éléonore Raurich, and nurse and painter Albert Cantona.[11][12][13] His mother was Spanish and came fromBarcelona,[14][15] while his paternal grandfather was Italian and had emigrated to Marseille from Ozieri inSardinia.[16] While fighting the armies ofGeneral Franco in theSpanish Civil War in 1938, Cantona's maternal grandfather, Pere Raurich, suffered a serious injury to his liver and had to retreat to France for medical treatment with his wife. They stayed inSaint-Priest, Ardèche, before settling in Marseille.[17]
Cantona began his football career with SO Caillolais, his local team and one that had produced such talent asRoger Jouve and had players such asJean Tigana andChristophe Galtier within its ranks. Originally, Cantona began to follow in his father's footsteps and often played as agoalkeeper, but his creative instincts began to take over and he would play up front more and more often. In his time with SO Caillolais, Cantona played in more than 200 matches.[18][19]
Cantona's first professional club wasAuxerre, where he spent two years in the youth team before making his debut on 5 November 1983, in a 4–0 league victory over Nancy.[20] In 1984 his footballing career was put on hold as he carried out hisnational service. On 14 May 1985, Cantona scored his first goal for Auxerre, scoring an open goal to put his team 2–0 up againstRouen in an important match to put pressure onAS Monaco.[21] On the final matchday of the season, Auxerre playedStrasbourg, with Auxerre needing one point to secure qualification for thefollowing seasons' UEFA Cup; 1–0 down at half-time, Cantona scored the equalising goal from 25 yards out and showed his talent to a wider audience for the first time.[22] After his discharge he was loaned out toMartigues[20] in the French Second Division before rejoining Auxerre and signing a professional contract in 1986. His performances in the First Division earned him his first full internationalcap.
The following year, Cantona was again in trouble because of a dangerouskung-fu tackle on Nantes playerMichel Der Zakarian, resulting in a three-month suspension,[20] this was later reduced to a two-month suspension as his club Auxerre threatened to make the player unavailable for selection in the national team. He was part of theFrance under-21 side that won the1988 U21 European Championship, scoring ahat-trick in a quarter-final against theEngland under-21 side,[23] and shortly after he transferred toMarseille for a French record fee (FF22m).[24] Cantona had grown up as a Marseille fan.[citation needed]
In January 1989 during a friendly game againstTorpedo Moscow he kicked the ball at the crowd, then ripped off and threw away his shirt after being substituted. His club responded by banning him for a month. Just a few months earlier, he had been banned from international matches for one year after insulting the national coachHenri Michel on TV.[25]
Having struggled to settle at Marseille, Cantona moved toBordeaux on a six-month loan and then toMontpellier on a year-long loan. At Montpellier, he was involved in a fight with team-mateJean-Claude Lemoult and threw his boots in Lemoult's face. The incident led to six players demanding that Cantona be sacked, but with the support of team-mates such asLaurent Blanc andCarlos Valderrama, the club retained his services, although they banned him from the ground for ten days. Cantona was instrumental as the team went on to win the French Cup and his form persuaded Marseille to take him back.
Back at Marseille, Cantona initially played well under coachGerard Gili and his successorFranz Beckenbauer. However, the Marseille chairmanBernard Tapie was not satisfied with the results and replaced Beckenbauer withRaymond Goethals; Cantona was continually at odds with Goethals and Tapie and, despite helping the team win theFrench Division 1 title, he was transferred toNîmes the following season, for a fee of 10 million francs, signing a three-year contract.[26]
In December 1991, during a match for Nîmes, he threw the ball at the referee, having been angered by one of his decisions. He was summoned to a disciplinary hearing by theFrench Football Federation and was banned for one month. Cantona responded by walking up to members of the hearing committee in turn and calling each of them an "idiot". His ban was increased to two months and Cantona subsequently announced his retirement from football on 16 December 1991.[27] The France national team coach,Michel Platini, was a fan of Cantona and persuaded him to make a comeback. On the advice ofGérard Houllier as well as hispsychoanalyst, he moved to England to restart his career: "He [my psychoanalyst] advised me not to sign for Marseille and recommended that I should go to England."[28]
On 6 November 1991, afterLiverpool's 3–0 victory over Auxerre in a UEFA Cup second round, second leg tie at Anfield, Liverpool managerGraeme Souness was met by FrenchmanMichel Platini at the end of the game, who told him that Cantona was available for sale to Liverpool. Souness thanked Platini, but declined the offer, citing dressing room harmony as his reason. After being turned down by Liverpool, Cantona was given a trial atSheffield Wednesday when Wednesday managerTrevor Francis was approached by Platini and Francis' former agent, Dennis Roach. In a 2012 interview Francis explained that he had agreed to take Cantona on as a favour to Roach and Platini, who he knew from his time playing in Italy, and that it was intended as an opportunity for Cantona to put himself in the "shop window": Wednesday had only recently been promoted back to the top flight, with most of the squad still being on Second Division-level wages, and the club could not afford to sign him. Cantona spent two days with Wednesday, training and playing in an indoor tournament atSheffield Arena.[29]
Cantona's arrival atLeeds United was announced in January 1992. Leeds would pay £100,000 to Nîmes to take him on loan until 15 April, after which they would have to pay another £900,000 to sign him permanently.[30] Cantona made his debut for Leeds in a 2–0 loss atOldham Athletic on 8 February 1992.[31] At Leeds, he was part of the team that won the finalFootball League First Division title before it was replaced by thePremier League as the top division in English football. He made 15 appearances, and despite only scoring three goals, he contributed to their title success, primarily with assists for leading goalscorerLee Chapman. Cantona scored his first goal for Leeds in a 2–0 win at home to Luton Town on 29 February and set up the other goal for Chapman.[32] Having played little football in the six weeks before signing for Leeds, Cantona struggled to find a place in an established line-up, with managerHoward Wilkinson preferring to put him on against tiring defences. AgainstTottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on 7 March, Cantona came off the bench to set up a goal forGary McAllister, securing a win that moved Leeds two points ahead of Manchester United, who had a game in hand, in the title race.[33] Cantona was deployed as a part of a front three, along with Chapman andRod Wallace, in a 5–1 thrashing of Wimbledon at Elland Road on 14 March, scoring Leeds' fourth goal of the game.[34]
Leeds' title ambitions survived the difficult tests of Arsenal at Highbury (a 1–1 draw with Cantona denied a late winner byDavid Seaman) and West Ham (a 0–0 draw with Cantona being denied a first-half goal through a dubious offside decision); however, they lost 4–0 to Manchester City on 4 April at Maine Road, allowing Manchester United to take pole position in the title race again.[35] Against Chelsea on 11 April, Cantona came on for Wallace with 20 minutes to go and Leeds leading 1–0; he then set up Chapman's 20th goal of the season before rounding off the scoring with a lob over Chelsea defenderPaul Elliott. Two days later, Wilkinson announced that Leeds intended to complete Cantona's transfer from Nîmes for £900,000. Cantona was paid a generous £7,000 a week, a huge cost in an era without television or European football revenue.[36] Starting with that Chelsea match, Leeds went unbeaten in their final five games, securing the league title on the penultimate weekend with a 3–2 win over Sheffield United after Manchester United had lost to Liverpool.
In the1992 FA Charity Shield that August, with Leeds missing several key players, Cantona scored a hat-trick in a 4–3 victory over Liverpool,[37] the first hat-trick in the Charity Shield sinceTommy Taylor in1957.[38] Cantona's hat-trick places him among the small group of players to have scored three or more goals in games atWembley Stadium. Leeds started their title defence with a 2–1 win over Wimbledon on 15 August; Cantona started alongside Chapman up front, but had a quiet game, although he did pick up his first yellow card in English football, after 17 games.[39] After Cantona scored his first league goal of the season in a 4–1 defeat atMiddlesbrough and followed it up with another hat-trick, the first in thenewly created Premier League in a 5–0 win over Tottenham on 25 August.[40] Cantona then flew to Paris to join the France national team for a friendly against Brazil on the very same day, due to newly installed managerGérard Houllier's desire to have the whole squad present for his first match.[41]
Leeds slipped towards mid-table with a pair of 2–2 draws despite excellent performances by Cantona, drawing two excellent saves from a youngDavid James against fellow title challengers Liverpool on 29 August and scoring a brace against Oldham Athletic three days later. Leeds then fell 2–0 to Manchester United at Old Trafford on 6 September, with Cantona coming off the bench and nearly scoring with a bicycle kick.[42] Leeds' first foray into the European Cup since 1974–75 started poorly with a 3–0 defeat atStuttgart on 16 September; Cantona, struggling with a hamstring injury, had a pass intercepted that led to Stuttgart's opening goal, exacerbating a growing rift with manager Wilkinson.[43] Cantona missed the next two games, a 1–1 draw atSouthampton and a 4–1 win overScunthorpe United in theLeague Cup, through injury but returned immediately to help Leeds win their first league game in six, a 2–0 victory over Everton on 26 September.[44]
Four days later, Leeds faced Stuttgart in the return leg of the European Cup. Dubbed the 'Mission Impossible', Cantona andGordon Strachan combined to set upGary Speed, who scored with a left-footed volley.Andreas Buck equalised for Stuttgart in the 34th minute, theaway goal meaning that Leeds needed another four to progress. McAllister scored a penalty just before half-time to make it 2–1 to Leeds before Cantona's looping shot in the 66th minute was deflected into his own net byGünther Schäfer. Chapman's header at the near post made it 4–1 in the 78th minute but Stuttgart remained firm and denied Leeds the decisive fifth goal. However, Leeds received a stroke of luck when it emerged after the match that Stuttgart's coach,Christoph Daum, had fielded four 'foreign' players, one more than allowed. Leeds were awarded a 3–0 victory by UEFA and a play-off match was ordered at the neutralCamp Nou in Barcelona on 9 October.[45]
An exhausted Leeds then stumbled to a 4–2 defeat atIpswich Town, with Cantona's form dipping through fatigue and injury. He had a poor game as Leeds won the play-off against Stuttgart 2–1.[46] A return to national duty then saw Cantona andJean-Pierre Papin score in a 2–0 victory over Austria.[47] He brought his revived form back to England, helping in a 3–1 victory againstSheffield United in October. This game would, however, be Cantona's last win while with Leeds.
Leeds were drawn againstRangers in the European Cup, a tie billed as 'The Battle of Britain' by the press.[48] Despite McAllister's first-minute goal, Cantona and Leeds struggled and fell 2–1 amid a hostileIbrox crowd. Cantona walked straight to the dressing room after being substituted, which was interpreted by Wilkinson as disrespectful to the other players. Leeds also lost the return leg 2–1, Rangers scoring throughMark Hateley andAlly McCoist, before Cantona scored a late consolation goal. In between the two games, Cantona was an unused substitute when Leeds travelled toQueens Park Rangers as Wilkinson, favouring a more direct approach, found no room for him. Leeds lost 2–1, with Cantona leaving for France after being granted leave on the morning of the match.[49] Wallace was preferred to start over Cantona in a fighting 2–2 draw at home toCoventry City. Managing just one win in four, Leeds' title defence had imploded in October, just asArsenal's had in theprevious season.
Cantona did however start in the 4–0 defeat at Manchester City on 7 November, but put in a hapless performance along with the rest of the team. Cantona was then guilty of "two dreadful misses" asWatford knocked them out of the League Cup on 10 November. Despite suffering along with his team, Wilkinson, rather than Cantona, was held responsible, after having to reinvigorate a side with a number of ageing stars. Despite Cantona scoring (with his shoulder) for France against Finland four days later, Wilkinson kept him out of the team, citing an unconvincing excuse of a "groin strain", as Leeds pulled off an improbable but resounding 3–0 win over Arsenal, ending the Gunners' six-game winning run.[50] Furious at being dropped, Cantona refused to report for training and faxed a transfer request to the club on 24 November, stating a preference to join Manchester United, Liverpool or Arsenal.[51]
The news of Cantona's impending transfer from Leeds to fierce rivals Manchester United was met with hostility from Leeds fans. The transfer was, however, seen as a good piece of business by most football pundits, removing a turbulent player from the team.[52]
Cantona left Leeds for Manchester United for £1 million on 26 November 1992. Leeds chairman Bill Fotherby had telephoned Manchester United chairmanMartin Edwards to enquire about the availability ofDenis Irwin. Edwards was in a meeting with managerAlex Ferguson at the time and both agreed that Irwin was not for sale. Ferguson had identified that his team was in need of a striker, having failed to secure the services ofAlan Shearer that summer, and after new signingDion Dublin was injured a few games into the season, had failed in his attempts to signDavid Hirst,Matt Le Tissier andBrian Deane. Ferguson instructed his chairman to ask whether Cantona was for sale. Fotherby had to consult with Wilkinson, but within a few days the deal was complete.[53]
"He [Cantona] illuminatedOld Trafford. The place was a frenzy every time he touched the ball."
—Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson.[54]
Cantona had arrived too late to register to play in United's 1–0 win atArsenal on 28 November, but was in the crowd atHighbury as his new team secured a vital win. He made his first appearance for the club on 1 December 1992 in a friendly match againstBenfica inLisbon to markEusébio's 50th birthday, wearing the number 10 shirt. He made his competitive debut as a second-half substitute againstManchester City at Old Trafford on 6 December. United won 2–1, though Cantona made little impact that day.
"The Frenchman waltzed into The Cliff, United's old training ground, and had team-mates in his thrall with barely a word. In his first season, the first of the Premier League era, he cultivated what would become the hallmarks of United for two decades: attacking football, ingenuity, aggression and an utter insistence on winning. AsPaul Ince recalled: "He just had that aura and presence. He took responsibility away from us. It was like he said: 'I'm Eric, and I'm here to win the title for you'."
—FourFourTwo magazine, "How Cantona transformed Manchester United, the Premier League, and a Christmas Carol"[55]
United's season had been disappointing up to Cantona's signing. A shortage of goals and a recent seven-match winless run had seen United fall behind the likes of big-spendingAston Villa andBlackburn Rovers in the race for the first Premier League title, as well as surprise challengers includingNorwich City and Queens Park Rangers.
Goalscoring had been a problem since the halfway point of the previous season – when it had cost them the league title as they suffered defeats or were held to draws against teams they had been expected to beat.[55] Ferguson had first tried to signAlan Shearer fromSouthampton during the 1992 close season, but lost out to Blackburn Rovers. He then spent £1 million onDion Dublin, who suffered a broken leg a few games into the season and was out of action for six months. A £3 million bid for Sheffield Wednesday strikerDavid Hirst was turned down and by 7 November, United were tenth in the Premier League.[55]
Cantona quickly settled into the team, slotting in alongside Mark Hughes, whileBrian McClair was switched to central midfield. Cantona contributed greatly to a quick upturn in the team's fortunes, not only scoring goals but also creating chances for the other players. His first United goal came in a 1–1 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 19 December 1992 and his second came onBoxing Day in a 3–3 draw against Sheffield Wednesday atHillsborough, where they claimed a point after being 3–0 down. However, controversy was never far away and on his return to Elland Road to play Leeds a few weeks later, he spat at a Leeds fan who taunted him and was fined £1,000 byThe Football Association.[25][56] United only lost twice in the league after Cantona's arrival and finished the season 10 points clear at the top of the table, finishing as champions for the first time in 26 years, which made Cantona the first player to win consecutive English top-division titles with different clubs. He had won a domestic league title with different clubs for three successive seasons, having helped Marseille win the French league title in 1991.
United retained thePremier League in 1993-94, topping the table for virtually the entire season, and Cantona's twopenalties helped them to a 4–0 win overChelsea in the1994 FA Cup Final. He also collected a runners-up medal in theFootball League Cup, which the team lost 3–1 to Aston Villa. He was also votedPFA Player of the Year for that season and finished as United's top scorer with 25 goals in all competitions; however, the season was not without its moments of controversy: Cantona was sent off as the team exited theChampions League againstGalatasaray and was also dismissed in successive league games in March 1994, firstly againstSwindon Town and then against Arsenal. The two successive red cards saw Cantona banned for five matches, including an FA Cup semi-final clash with Oldham Athletic, which United drew 1–1. Cantona was available for the replay and helped them win 4–1.[20]
1993–94 was the first season ofsquad numbers in the Premier League. Cantona was issued with the number 7 shirt, a squad number he kept for the rest of his United career and that already had iconic status, having previously been worn by club legends includingGeorge Best andBryan Robson;[57] however, squad numbers were not yet set for Champions League matches (or in domestic cup ties against lower division sides) and Cantona wore the number 9 shirt in the four fixtures home and away against Kispest Honvéd and Galatasaray. On 19 December 1993, he scored two against Aston Villa, the previous season's runners-up, in a 3–1 victory that put United 13 points clear at the top of the league. They extended their lead to 16 points soon after and eventually finished eight points ahead of runners-up Blackburn. Cantona was United's top scorer with 26 goals in all competitions. He also won the PFA Player of the Year award.[58]
1994–95 season, 'kung-fu' incident and ban from football
In the 1994–95 season, United were in the hunt for a third successive league title, and for the first half of the season, things went smoothly enough for player and club. The season began with a 2–0Wembley win over Blackburn in the Charity Shield, in which Cantona scored a penalty.[59] Cantona frequently scored for Manchester United, who once again battled for the title against a Blackburn side that led the table for much of the season, particularly with a 4–2 win atEwood Park in late October, in which Cantona was on the scoresheet. He was also on the scoresheet in a memorable 5–0derby win over Manchester City in November. On 22 January 1995, he scored the winning goal in a 1–0 home win over Blackburn that made the title race even tighter and brought Cantona's tally of league goals for that season to 12. He scored a further goal in anFA Cup third-round win at Sheffield United earlier that month, fuelling talk of a second successive title. The arrival of strikerAndy Cole fromNewcastle United on 10 January further boosted these hopes, even though Cole was cup-tied for FA Cup fixtures.[60]
On 25 January 1995, he was involved in an incident that attracted headlines and controversy worldwide.[61][62][63] In an away match againstCrystal Palace, Cantona wassent off by thereferee for kicking Palace defenderRichard Shaw, after Shaw had frustrated Cantona throughout the game by closely marking him.[61] As he was walking towards the tunnel, Cantona launched a 'kung-fu' style kick into the crowd, directed at Palace supporter Matthew Simmons, who had run down 11 rows of stairs to confront and shout abuse at Cantona. Simmons was alleged to have used the words "Fuck off back to France, you French bastard".[61] Cantona followed the kick with a series of punches.[63][64][65]
At apress conference called later, Cantona said, in a slow and deliberate manner:
"When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea. Thank you very much."
Cantona then got up from his seat and abruptly left, leaving behind him a packed media room surprised and baffled – some roared with laughter – with those in the room trying to decipher his cryptic words.[62][66]
Cantona was faced with a criminal charge of assault, which he admitted to on 23 March, resulting in a two-week prison sentence, although he was freed on bail pending an appeal.[67] This was overturned in theappeal court a week later and instead he was sentenced to 120 hours ofcommunity service, which was spent coaching children at United's training ground.[68] The fan who was attacked by Cantona, Matthew Simmons, went on trial separately a year later, and claimed that he only shouted "Off! Off! Off! It's an early bath for you, Mr Cantona!", but was found guilty of abusive behavior and handed a £500 fine and banned from the stadium for a year, having already had his season ticket withdrawn by Crystal Palace within days of the incident. Immediately after the verdict was proclaimed, Simmons then assaulted prosecutor Jeffrey McCann, for which he was sentenced to a week in jail, plus an additional £500 fine as well as £200 in legal costs.[69][70]
As well as criminal proceedings, there was also disciplinary action from his club and The FA. A lengthy ban from the game was regarded as inevitable, with some critics calling for Cantona to be deported and never allowed to play football in England again, while others called for him to be banned from football for life.[63][64][65] In accordance with The FA's wishes, United's initial action was to fine Cantona £20,000 for the assault and to confirm that he would not play for the first team for the rest of the season, although United were still in the hunt for a second double.[71][72] The FA then increased the ban to eight months, up to and including 30 September 1995, and fined him a further £10,000.[73]
The FA Chief ExecutiveGraham Kelly described his attack as "a stain on our game" that brought shame on football.FIFA then confirmed the suspension as worldwide, meaning that Cantona could not escape the ban by being transferred or loaned to a foreign club.[74] He was stripped of the captaincy of theFrance national team by coachAimé Jacquet, and never played for the France national team again, and his club lost the title to Blackburn Rovers.[75][61][76]
There had been media speculation that Cantona would leave United to play for a foreign club when his suspension finished and many observers felt he would not be able to cope with the inevitable goading from rival players and supporters once his suspension finished. Ferguson persuaded him to stay in Manchester, despite interest from Italian clubInter Milan, who had managed to lure his team-matePaul Ince to Italy that summer.[77]
Even after signing his new contract, Cantona was frustrated by the terms of his ban, which did not even allow him to play in friendly matches behind closed doors. On 8 August, he handed in a request for his contract to be terminated, as he no longer wanted to play football in England. This came after United had been censured by the FA for fielding Cantona in a match against another club at the club's training ground, which was defined as a friendly match despite the club organising the match as being within the context of training – as his suspension allowed him to play in this type of match only. The request was turned down and two days later, following a meeting in Paris with Ferguson, he declared that he would remain at the club.
In 2011, Cantona said that the attack on Simmons was "a great feeling" and a memory he is happy for fans to treasure, but "... it was a mistake".[78] In 2002, the notoriety of the Kung fu kick saw it ranked number 12 on Channel 4's poll of the100 Greatest Sporting Moments.[79] In retrospect, Simmons' behavior that provoked Cantona's kick would a decade later be regarded asracial abuse which almost certainly would have forced the partial or full closure of Crystal Palace's stadium, as well as meriting Simmons a considerably lengthier sentence.[80] More recently whenPaul Pogba's Manchester United team-mateMarcus Rashford was racially abused on social media,[81] and ex-footballerGarth Crooks said that "[i]f something drastic is not done soon…" there could be an incident between a player and a fan, similar to Cantona's kung-fu kick on the offensive fan in 1995.[82]
The puppet of Cantona which appeared on the British satirical puppet showSpitting Image during the 1990s
In his comeback game againstarch rivalsLiverpool on 1 October 1995, Cantona set up a goal forNicky Butt two minutes into the game and then scored a penalty to secure a point for United in a 2–2 home draw.[83][84] However, eight months without competitive football had taken its toll and Cantona struggled for form in his first three months back in action; by 24 December, the gap between United and league leaders Newcastle had increased to 10 points and eventually 12.[85]
However, Cantona recaptured his form in the new year. During January 1996, the gap between United and the leaders stretched to 12 points, but the comeback began when Cantona scored the winning goal at West Ham, and shortly afterwards Cantona excelled on his first visit to Selhurst Park since he was banned,[86] during which he scored twice in a 4–2 win over Wimbledon.[87] Victory over Arsenal on 20 March, with Cantona scoring the only goal of the game with a 25-yard half-volley, saw United overtake Newcastle in the title race, where they remained for the rest of the season, with Cantona having already scored the winner at Newcastle earlier that month.[88] The goal came as part of a personal scoring run of six consecutive league matches for Cantona, four of which saw him score the game's only goal.[89] He scored the fifth in a 5–0 win overNottingham Forest on the penultimate day of the season, a result that meant that United realistically only needed to avoid defeat atMiddlesbrough on the final day; they won 3–0 to secure their third league title in four years. Cantona finished the season as the club's top scorer with 14 goals from 30 league appearances. United had suffered just one defeat after the turn of the year.
Cantona's ban meant he was not eligible to appear in either of their UEFA Cup fixtures, nor the first leg of their League Cup second-round tie, but he did score in four of United's six matches on the way to the1996 FA Cup Final against Liverpool, their third in a row in the competition. In the absence of regular captainSteve Bruce due to injury, Cantona wore the armband for the final and took on the captain's responsibility by volleying in the only goal of the game from the edge of thepenalty area in the 86th minute after Liverpool had failed to clear a corner.[90] United's victory made them the first club to win the Double twice and Cantona the first FA Cup-winning captain from outside the British Isles.[90]
"The terrace chant of "Ooh Aah Cantona", sung with such fervour by the Manchester United faithful whenever their French hero scored, looks set to become a trademark."
—Following retirement, in May 1997 Cantona has his chant (and "Cantona 7") patented as commercial trademarks.[91]
Cantona was named as United's captain for the1996–97 season following the departure of Bruce toBirmingham City. United retained the league in the 1996–97 season; Cantona had won four league titles in five years with the team, and six in seven years including those won with Marseille and Leeds, the exception being the 1994–95 season which he had missed the second half of through suspension. United also reached the semi-finals of the Champions League (European Cup) - their best run of form in the competition for 28 years.
On 18 May 1997, shortly after the end of the 1996-97 season, Cantona caused a major shock when he announced his retirement from football. The decision was announced at a press conference at Old Trafford, at which he was not present, and came following several weeks after media reports suggested that he might soon be leaving the club. United manager Alex Ferguson later revealed in his autobiography that Cantona had in fact informed him of his intention to quit football the previous month.
His final competitive game came against West Ham on 11 May 1997, and his final appearance before retiring was five days later on 16 May in a testimonial forDavid Busst (whose career had been ended by an injury suffered against United the previous year) against Coventry City atHighfield Road. Cantona had scored a total of 64 league goals for United, 13 in domestic cup competitions, and 5 in the Champions League, bringing his tally to 82 goals in less than five years.[55]
In 1998, theFootball League, as part of its centenary season celebrations, included Cantona on its list of100 League Legends. Cantona's achievements in the English League were further marked in 2002 when he was made an inaugural inductee of theEnglish Football Hall of Fame. Later in 1998, Cantona organised a match of Manchester United players against other players from around the world in what was originally designed to be a memorial for the victims of theMunich air disaster in 1958 and their families, but which was merged with atestimonial for Cantona himself.[92]
An Evening with Eric Cantona was held atthe Lowry in Salford, Greater Manchester, in February 2017
Cantona being interviewed on stage
In his 1999 autobiographyManaging My Life, Alex Ferguson claimed that Cantona had informed him of his decision to retire from playing within 24 hours of Manchester United'sChampions League semi-final defeat toBorussia Dortmund, though the decision was not made public for almost a month afterwards. During that time, there had been speculation about his future at Manchester United, including talk of a move toReal Zaragoza of Spain. Returning to Britain in 2003 to pick up the Overseas Player of the Decade Award at thePremier League 10 Seasons Awards, Cantona said of his premature retirement, "When you quit football it is not easy, your life becomes difficult. I should know because sometimes I feel I quit too young. I loved the game but I no longer had the passion to go to bed early, not to go out with my friends, not to drink, and not to do a lot of other things, the things I like in life."[93] In 2004, Cantona was quoted as saying, "I'm so proud the fans still sing my name, but I fear tomorrow they will stop. I fear it because I love it. And everything you love, you fear you will lose."[94]
He was interviewed in a "Number 7s" issue of Manchester United's official magazine,United, in August 2006, stating he would only return to United as 'Number 1' (meaning not return as assistant manager or coach) and would create a team like no other and play the way he thinks football should be played; however, Cantona opposed theownership of Manchester United by the Glazer family and stated that he would not return to the club, even as a manager, while they were in charge.[95]
In March 2014, Cantona was arrested and cautioned for an act of common assault onRegent's Park Road in Camden, North London. The victim did not require medical attention.[96]
Cantona received theUEFA President's Award in August 2019. Dressed in a flat cap, he began by quotingWilliam Shakespeare'sKing Lear – "As flies to wanton boys we are for the gods" – before referencing science, war and crime.[97] Similar to the response to his "seagulls" press conference in 1995, the puzzled audience watched in silence.[97]
Cantona was given his full international debut againstWest Germany in August 1987 by national team managerHenri Michel.[98] In September 1988, angered after being dropped from the national team, Cantona referred to Michel as a "bag of shit" in a post-match TV interview and was indefinitely banned from all international matches.[99] However, Michel was sacked shortly after that, having failed to qualify for the1990 FIFA World Cup. The new coach wasMichel Platini and one of his first acts was to recall Cantona. Platini stated that whilst he was coach, Cantona would be selected for France as long as he was playing competitive top-class football; it was also Platini who had initiated Cantona's move to England to restart his career. France qualified forUEFA Euro 1992 held in Sweden, but failed to win a single game despite the strike partnership of Cantona andJean-Pierre Papin. Platini resigned after the finals to be replaced byGérard Houllier.
Under Houllier, France failed toqualify for the1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States after losing their final qualifying game 2–1 at home toBulgaria, when a draw would have sufficed. Houllier resigned andAimé Jacquet took over. Jacquet began to rebuild the national team in preparation forEuro 96 and appointed Cantona as captain. Cantona remained captain until the Selhurst Park incident in January 1995 that led to his ban and captaincy being stripped. In addition, he lost his place toZinedine Zidane, as Jacquet had revamped the squad with new players. Cantona, Papin andDavid Ginola lost their places in the squad and were never selected for the French team again, thus missing Euro 96.[100]
Though there was media criticism about Cantona's omission, as he was playing his best football in the Premier League, Jacquet stated that the team had done well without Cantona and that he wanted to keep faith with the players who had taken them so far.[101] In a 2015 interview with French radio networkFrance Info, Cantona stated that had he still been involved with the national side, he would have extended his career to feature in the1998 FIFA World Cup, held in Cantona's home nation.[102] Cantona still harbours resentment for the people at the head of his national team but also admiration for his adopted football country; atUEFA Euro 2004 and the2006 FIFA World Cup, he supported England and not France.[103]
Cantona (far right) at the premiere ofKen Loach's filmLooking for Eric (2009) at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.
Cantona focused his later career mostly as an actor in French cinema, having had his first role as a rugby player inLe bonheur est dans le pré, shot during his 1995 suspension from football. In the late 1990s, he accepted a role as a French ambassador in the English filmElizabeth (1998). In 2002, he directed a short film,Apporte-moi ton amour. He guest-starred as a mysterious barroom philosopher in independent British filmJack Says, released to DVD in September 2008. He co-starred as director Thierry Grimandi inFrench Film (2009), and was co-producer and a lead actor inKen Loach'sPalme d'Or-nominated filmLooking for Eric (2009). He stars as The Corsican in the Danish westernThe Salvation, which premiered at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival on 17 May 2014.[104]
In January 2020, Cantona played The King in the music video forLiam Gallagher's single "Once".[105]
1966 was a great year for English football. Eric was born.
—Nike slogan which appeared on billboards throughout England in 1994, referencing Cantona's birth (the same yearEngland won the World Cup)[106]
Cantona has frequently appeared in commercials for the sportswear companyNike.[107][108] In 1994, he was involved in a Nike advertising campaign which featured a black and white image of himself in front of the English flag, with the caption: "'66 was a great year for English football. Eric was born."[109] In 1996, he was the central figure in a Nike commercial titled "Good vs Evil" in a gladiatorial game set in aRoman amphitheatre. Appearing alongside football players from around the world, includingRonaldo,Paolo Maldini,Luís Figo,Patrick Kluivert andJorge Campos, they defend "the beautiful game" against a team of demonic warriors, which ends with Cantona receiving the ball from Ronaldo,pulling up his shirt collar in his trademark style, and delivering the final line, "Au Revoir", before striking the ball which punches right through the demon goalkeeper.[107]
Since his retirement from professional football in 1997, Cantona has continued to appear in Nike commercials, often in a non-playing role. In 1997, he starred in Nike's "Park Life" commercial, set to the song "Parklife" byBlur, in which a group of pub league players playing amateur football atHackney Marshes in east London are suddenly joined by top Premier League footballers, including Cantona,Ian Wright,David Seaman andRobbie Fowler.[110] In 2000, "Park Life" was ranked number 15 inChannel 4's poll of the100 Greatest TV Ads.[111]
Shortly after his departure from Manchester United in 1997, Cantona becamecaptain of theFrance national beach soccer team, gaining an interest in the sport through his brotherJoel who was already a part of the France national side travelling the world to play matches.[118] Cantona continued his interest in beach soccer games in southern Asia and at the InauguralKronenbourg Beach Soccer Cup in 2002, inBrighton, England.
As a recognisable figure, Cantona was key to beach soccer's growth during the sports early years, being a magnet for drawing in fans to beach soccer events,[119] and also helping to promote the sport, saying in 2002, "Physically it is difficult, technically it is difficult, and tactically it's difficult too. We must work very hard, and train regularly together. Beach Soccer has got everything needed to be a great sport."[120]
He found considerable success as he managed and played in the French team which won their first European title at the2004 Euro Beach Soccer League. At theinaugural FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup inRio de Janeiro in 2005, he wasplayer-manager of the team and scored one goal in a 7-4 win againstSpain. France ended up winning the tournament. This was Cantona's final year as a player. However, he continued to coach the France national team at the2006 Beach Soccer World Cup, which finished third. In 2007, Cantona enjoyed another successful year as manager, taking France to fourth place in theWorld Cup and narrowly missing out on a second European title, finishing runners-up to Portugal after a 7–6 loss in the final of the2007 Euro Beach Soccer League. The World Cup was held in France for the first time in2008; however, Cantona was unable to make the top four after losing toItaly in the quarter-finals.
After failing, as manager, to qualify France to the World Cup for the first time in2009, Cantona's demise as head coach was sealed in 2010 as not only did Francefail to qualify for the upcoming World Cup again, but Cantona also lead the national team to relegation from the top division of theEuro Beach Soccer League down to Division B. These series of disappointments lead to Cantona resigning as manager of France in 2011,[121] after almost 15 years involved in the team. In 2019, the magazineFrance Football placed Cantona fourth in an article named "10 Legends of Beach Soccer".[122]
Cantona at Old Trafford with the Cosmos, 5 August 2011
New York Cosmos announced the Frenchman's return to football as their Director of Soccer on 18 January 2011. On arrival, Cantona described his role to the press as to help Cosmos "regain the number one position in the United States and then... to become one of the best clubs in the world over the coming years."[123] Cantona was later fired by the club after a confrontation with a photographer, and in May 2015, he sued the Cosmos for nearly $1 million in back pay and a promised 4% equity share.[124][125] Cosmos rejected his claims, insisting that his role as Director of Soccer was largely ceremonial and that Cantona's true job was as "a promoter and brand ambassador".[126][127] The two parties later agreed to dismiss the lawsuit, though terms of a settlement were not disclosed.[126]
Regarded by pundits as one of the best players of his generation,[128][129] one of the greatest Premier League players of all time,[130] and as one of France's and Manchester United's greatest players ever, Cantona was nicknamed by Manchester United fans as "King Eric".[131][132][133] A large, physically strong, hard-working and tenacious player, Cantona was a forward who combined technical skill and creativity with power and goalscoring ability.[134][130][135] Despite his height and imposing physique, he was a skilful player on the ball, due to his long torso, which gave him a lowercentre of gravity than most players of his stature, and who possessed good technique and ball control, as well as an excellent first touch.[136][137][138][139][140]
He was renowned for his vision, passing, intelligence andplaymaking skills, in addition to his eye for goal and powerful and accurate striking ability, which often saw him score from spectacular strikes andvolleys. As such, he often played in a free, creative role between the midfield and forward lines throughout his career, acting as adeep-lying forward behind the main striker, due to his tendency to drop deep into midfield to retrieve the ball and orchestrate attacking plays, as well as his ability both to score goals and provideassists for team-mates. However, Cantona was also capable of playing as acentre-forward, due to his ability to hold-up the ball with his back to goal, although this was not his favoured position, as anout–and–out striker, as anattacking midfielder, or even as acentral midfielder on occasion.[136][137][138][139][140] He was also an accuratepenalty andfree kick taker.[141][142]
Due to his height, physique, positional sense and heading accuracy, he was strong in the air.[137] He was known for being both mentally and physically tough, and was highly regarded for his strong, commanding and charismatic personality, as well as his leadership qualities and bravery, which helped to alleviate pressure from his team-mates.[130][136][137][143] Cantona was known for turning up his collar during matches. Wayne Barton notes that he first wore his collar up in a Manchester derby match on 7 November 1993, following United's elimination from Europe at the hands of Galatasary, commenting: "one wonders if, in his own superstitious way, this was Cantona's way of calming that fire inside him after the trip to Turkey, a way to focus his thoughts on moving forward."[54][143] When asked about the reason behind his famous on-field appearance, he commented: "I didn't plan it. During one game it was cold and my collar just stayed up. We won, so it became a habit to play with my collar up."[144]
Cantona was a hard-working player, who also stood out for his defensive contribution off the ball, as well as his ability to start attacking plays after winning back possession.[137] He also drew praise in the media for his discipline and dedication in training.[145] Despite his talent and ability, he was also notorious for his aggression, confrontational behaviour, volatile temper and lack of discipline on the pitch, as well as his tendency to commit hard challenges, which made him a highly controversial figure in world football.[146][147][148][149] While was known for being outspoken on a number of issues,[150] he was also accused in media of being arrogant.[109][151] When he was asked whether Zidane or Platini was the greatest French player of all time, for example, he said: "No, it is me."[144] He drew criticism from certain pundits for being inconsistent at times,[152] and for his disappointing performances at international level[153] and in European club competitions, as well as his lack of significant speed, which was particularly evident in his later career with his advancing age.[154][155]
Cantona called for a social revolution against the banks and encouraged customers of the major retail banks to withdraw their money on 7 December 2010 in protest at the2008 financial crisis. This proposal became the basis of an online campaign calling for abank run.[156]
In January 2012, Cantona began trying to gather the 500 signatures from elected officials necessary for a bid for theFrench presidential election that year, in order to draw support for the homeless charity and campaign groupEmmaus.[157]
In June 2012, he signed a petition for the release of Palestinian footballerMahmoud Sarsak, imprisoned without conviction by Israel in July 2009 and released on 10 July 2012.[158] In September 2025, Cantona made an appearance at theTogether For Palestine charity fundraising event where he called forIsrael to be suspended by FIFA and UEFA and urged clubs to refuse to play against teams from Israel.[159] He signed an open pledge withFilm Workers for Palestine pledging not to work with Israeli film institutions "that are implicated ingenocide andapartheid against the Palestinian people."[160]
Cantona married Isabelle Ferrer in 1987. They have two children together. They divorced in 2003. He married actressRachida Brakni in 2007. They have two children together.[161]
Cantona's brother,Joël, is a former footballer who retired at a young age and went into acting. His cousin,Sacha Opinel, is a footballer.[162]
Auclair, Philippe (2009).Cantona: The Rebel Who Would Be King. Macmillan.ISBN978-0-230-74430-1.
Blacker, Terence; Donaldson, William (1997).The Meaning of Cantona: Meditations on Life, Art and Perfectly Weighted Balls. Mainstream Publishing.ISBN978-1-85158-950-0.
Cantona, Eric (1996).Cantona on Cantona: Reflections of a sporting legend. Andre Deutsch.ISBN978-0-233-99045-3.
Robinson, Michael (1995).La Philosophie De Cantona. Prentice Hall.ISBN978-1-898051-39-8.
Wightman, Rob (2002).FourFourTwo Great Footballers: Eric Cantona. Virgin Books.ISBN978-0-7535-0662-2.
Worrall, Frank (2008). "Chapter 7: From Caveman to Cavemen".The Magnificent Sevens. London: John Blake Publishing. p. 103.ISBN978-1-84454-609-1.
^Shaw, Phil (2014).The Book of Football Quotations. Random House. p. 62.
^abJackson, Steven J. (10 November 2004).Sport, Culture and Advertising: Identities, Commodities and the Politics of Representation. Routledge. p. 186.
^Cantona, Eric (19 August 2002)."E. CANTONA: "Beach Soccer is a real sport"". Beach Soccer Worldwide. Archived from the original on 21 September 2002. Retrieved17 October 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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