January 25, 1995 Eric Cantona left one of the most remembered actions of his career. For the public and for him, who says he has always felt proud of what he did 26 years ago.
The Frenchman disputed a Crystal Palace-Manchester United and was expelled. Cantona drifted off the green, and the Selhurst Park bleachers loomed over him. He turned a deaf ear to several insults less than those of Matthew Simmons, who according to English newspapers of the time, sent him to his country calling him a “shitty Frenchman”. Eric did not take the insult at all well and threw a 'flying kick' at Simmons, who was in the front row.
King Eric was sanctioned for months and even had to do community service, but he has never shown much regret for this action. Nor now, 26 years later, in which he claims that he did the right thing. “I was insulted thousands of times and I never reacted, but sometimes one is fragile. I only regret not having kicked him even harder. I was sanctioned without playing for nine months. They used me as an example,” Affirm French in a new Sky production, The United Way, a documentary in which they talk about the history of the club and explain its idiosyncrasies.
The action entered the collective memory of soccer fans thanks to a photo. Cantona himself explains how it happened. “It was a friendly one, but the photographer was on top of a tree outside and took the photo. Unfortunately, it did not fall. The next day I was in the newspapers and the FA wanted to expel me for even more months, “he says. “Sir Alex knew how to find the right words. He always loved and respected me. Like a father”Eric adds about his coach's attitude.
This route was supported by the club, which, according to Cantona, offered him the renewal in a short time. “Others would have fired me … That is the difference between United and the others,” he says.
A surprise retreat
“United needed me and I needed them. I was born to play for United with all the lights on me,” says Cantona in the trailer for this documentary.. This came from Leeds in 1992, changed the modern history of the club and in 1997, without warning, he hung up his boots forever.
Solskjaer, former teammate and now coach of the club, explains it in the documentary itself in rejoicing statements by the English press. “When the season ended, he rented a restaurant for me and Jordi Cruyff to go with him and our families. We had a great night, celebrating that we had won the League. Two days later, I heard on the radio that he had retired. He never said a word to us. We were partying until four in the morning and we went home. Not a word. That was Eric“acknowledges the Norwegian.
In this same documentary, David Beckham, then a promising young man who had made the leap to the first team as part of a historical generation (Giggs, Scholes, the Nevilles …) recognizes that the departure of Eric, then the great star, left “devastated”.
The Frenchman provided his reasons. “As a child, soccer was my dream, but when that dream became routine, I didn't want to play anymore. I wanted to be honest with myself, with the fans and with everyone. Also, there are many things to do in life and I have no time to waste. It was time to pass the baton on to the next generation, “he says.