Some of the best players are often the most controversial ones—and French players are even more so. Even someone as calm as Zinedine Zidane finished his career in the most controversial way possible by headbutting Marco Materazzi in the final of the 2006 World Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo is another example of controversial. However, the one that surpasses them both is the former number 7 of Manchester United, Eric Cantona, also known as King Cantona.
The Frenchman had a glorious career filled with titles and, of course, controversies. He was—and still is—a man who always spoke his mind and sometimes, it resulted in some of the finest quotes the world has ever heard.
And here 7 of the best quotes by him….
#1 Cantona claims he is not a man
“I am not a man, I am Cantona.”
To some, this might sound like a subtle way to describe your gender orientation without causing much ruckus because of the narcissistic ending to the one-liner. However, it is probably not. What can’t be denied, though, is the sheer self-belief in this quote.
Playing himself in the movie ‘Looking for Eric,’ Eric Cantona is asked to “forget it, you are just a man,” by Steve Evets’ character, Eric Bishop. The French legend then stares at him and says, “I am not a man, I am Cantona,” implying that he is more than just your average bloke on the streets.
#2 Cantona on perfection
“If someone is too perfect they won't look good. Imperfection is important.”
Most people in this world want everything to be perfect. The perfect house, the perfect job, the perfect partner, the perfect everything. They seek perfection so much that they tend to deny their imperfections in order to create the world of their desire.
However, human beings are born to be imperfect—and Eric Cantona sums up the reason quite beautifully. Imperfection is important since it gives us a thirst to always keep improving. Nobody’s perfect and nobody shall be, either.
#3 Cantona on the commercialist modern day football
"The real fans of football come from the working class. Now they cannot afford to come and watch the game.”
Football is more than just a game now. With over thousand brands sponsoring the sport, it has become a global product that is used as a business by many. Big money signings, commercial deals, you name it. It is for this reason that clubs charge astronomical prices for tickets.
And Eric Cantona is not a fan of this, like every other working class football fan. The Frenchman himself came from a working class family and doesn’t like the way football clubs treat the fans now—like customers—and he depicts his displeasure with this beauty of a quote.
#4 Cantona the philosopher
“When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.”
The Greeks are known to have produced some of the finest philosophers this world has ever seen or heard. From the likes of Plato to Aristotle, the Greek history is rich with philosophers that were ahead of their time.
And it seems as though one of them might have reincarnated in the form of Eric Cantona.
When the Frenchman was asked about his kung fu kick to a hooligan in the stands, he came up with this peach of a quote to imply that the media was the seagull following him—the trawler—for some spicy comments on the incident, sardines.
Classic.
#5 Cantona the soothsayer
“I prefer to play and lose rather than win, because I know in advance I'm going to win.”
In the last slide, we depicted the philosophical side of the great Frenchman. In this one, we show his psychic skills combined with a hint of arrogance. The reason why Cantona was such a successful player was largely down to his superior mentality.
He was a winner, from the mind to the body—and it showed. He was never shy to speak his mind and didn’t really care what people thought of him. He only worked hard and had the ‘I will always win’ mind-set before taking on the opposition.
Arrogance? Maybe. Legendary? Definitely.
#6 Cantona’s best moment
“My best moment? I have a lot of good moments but the one I prefer is when I kicked the hooligan.”
For someone who had such a decorated career with the Red Devils, there should be no dearth of glorious moments—and there isn’t. The former Marseille man scored so many wonderful goals and owned so many world class defenders that finding one top moment is like diving into a seemingly never-ending ocean.
However, according to the man himself, his best moment is when he kicked the hooligan fan, something that is seen by many in the negative light. Most players would be embarrassed to talk about it again, even avoiding it if necessary, but Eric Cantona is unlike the others.
He is proud of what most would have been ashamed.
Also Read: 5 players who were hit with long suspensions
#7 There can only be one king
“There can only be one king in Manchester, you can be the prince if you want.”
When Zlatan Ibrahimovic was signed by Manchester United on a free transfer, the fans were highly excited as they were hoping that a new king has been put on the throne at the Theatre of Dreams.
However, Eric Cantona made it clear: there can only be one king of Manchester—and that is Eric Cantona himself. But he was also kind enough to give him the title of the prince and hailed him for his abilities.
While it was a tongue-in-cheek comment, Ibrahimovic replied with something ever better. The Swede claimed that he had no interest in being the king because, “I will be God.”
You just can’t make this stuff up.
