Eric Cantona was a fabulous footballer. The Frenchman had success with Auxerre, Marseille and Leeds but it was at Manchester United where he became a worldwide star. Signed for £1.2 million in 1992, Cantona went on to score 82 goals in 185 games for the club. He won nine trophies in his five-season spell at the club, including four Premier League titles.
Above all else though, ‘the King’ of Old Trafford was one of the sport’s biggest mavericks. Whether it be the infamous collar, or his fiery temper, the Frenchman knew how to make himself stand out from everyone else. He also has an interesting way with words. No one will forget his speech about the seagulls following the trawler after his prison sentence for attacking a fan was overturned.
Just when everyone thought Cantona couldn’t get any more bizarre, the former attacker (in more ways than one), left people confused at a UEFA ceremony back in 2019.
Cantona’s Speech in 2019
The Frenchman was receiving the UEFA President’s Award
In 2019, the mercurial mastermind was invited to UEFA’s Champions League group stage draw to receive the UEFA President’s Award. In classic Cantona fashion, the nonchalant character rocked up in a flat cap, pink shirt and chinos whilst the remainder of the room sported finely pressed tuxedos.
What then followed was one of the oddest speeches known to man, where the former France international mentioned football just one time. He addressed the entire room, saying:
“As flies to wanton boys we are for the gods, they kill us for their sport.
“Soon the science will not only be able to slow down the ageing of the cells, soon the science will fix the cells to the state and so we will become eternal. Only accidents, crimes, wars, will still kill us but unfortunately, crimes, wars, will multiply. I love football. Thank you.”
The whole room was perplexed by Cantona’s speech. No one knew what was going on about and that was emphasised by the reactions of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Cantona finished speaking and there was silence in the room until a confused applause broke out.
Reason for Cantona’s Bizarre Speech
The icon was influenced by one of the world’s most famous writers
Although it seemed as though the French superstar had managed to put together another random selection of words, there was actually some genuine inspiration behind what he said. It turns out that the speech was taken from William Shakespeare’s King Lear. Per Man United’s official website, Cantona cited this as the reason behind his choice of words, explaining:
“I didn’t think about the speech, really.
“I was reading in the morning an article about an exhibition in Paris on Francis Bacon, and I read that he used to like this sentence, from King Lear, Shakespeare. I started doing that.”
Why Cantona decided it would be appropriate to quote Shakespeare at that moment of time is anyone’s guess. Interestingly though, if you take a deeper look at his words, they do seem to link back to elements of the Frenchman’s career. Cantona is often referred to in god-like status by adoring Manchester United supporters, so the first part of his speech could be a reference to his status at Old Trafford.
Likewise, Cantona talks about being killed for sport, which could perhaps allude to his battles with the media for some of his wrongdoings, particularly the infamous Kung-Fu-kick incident at Selhurst Park in 1995 where Cantona jumped into the crowd and attacked a fan.
The press was quick to condemn the forward in the aftermath and it wasn’t until the supposed victim was charged with inciting the incident did Cantona’s reputation begin to heal. Weirdly, this seemingly accidental choice of language copied from one of the most well-renowned playwrights perfectly summarises the former Premier League winner’s career on and off the pitch.
Cantona has always been one to follow his heart. It is because of this that he chose to retire at the young age of 30, just two years before United would go on to complete a historic treble. This early retirement makes him one of the best players to call time on his game before fans were ready to see him go.
