Canton, Eric

Cantona began a football career in the French Auxerre . After spending two years in the youth squad, he made his debut for the main team in 1983.

In 1984, Canton was called up for military service . A year later, he was demobilized and leased to Martigues , the club of the second division of the French championship. In 1986, Eric returned to Auxerre and signed a professional contract with the club. The young striker was noticed by the head coach of the French national team Henri Michel , and in 1987 Eric was called up to the national team. In the same year, Eric's disciplinary problems first appeared: he hit in the face of his teammate Bruno Martini , for which he was fined a large sum ^[4] .

The following year, Canton received 3 months of disqualification for a dangerous tackle against Nantes defender Michel Ter-Zakaryan ^[4] . At the level of the national team, Eric achieved success by winning the European Youth Championship with the French youth team , after which he moved to Olympic Marseille (the club for which he had been a fan since childhood) for a record sum of 2 million pounds for France. Disciplinary violations continued: Cantona in a television interview publicly called France coach Henri Michel “a bag of shit,” for which he was suspended from playing for the national team for a year. In January 1989, during a friendly match between Olimpika and the Moscow Torpedo , Canton, dissatisfied with his replacement, knocked the ball into the stands, tore his shirt on himself and threw it into the referee. The club suspended him from the games for a month ^[5] .

In 1989, Cantona moved to Bordeaux on loan, and after 6 months it was rented for a year by the Montpellier Club. In the "Montpellier" of Canton during a quarrel with a teammate, Jean-Claude Lemult threw boots in his face. After this incident, six teammates demanded that Canton leave the team, but Laurent Blanc and Carlos Valderrama stood up for him, and Eric escaped with a ten-day disqualification ^[5] . Cantona helped Montpellier win the French Cup by scoring 6 goals in 4 matches in this tournament, including a winning goal in the tournament semifinal ^[6] . The management of Olimpik decided to return Eric, who had received excellent form, to the team. Cantona began to play decently in Olimpik, which was now headed by Franz Beckenbauer , but club president Bernard Tapi was unhappy with the results the team was showing and dismissed Beckenbauer. Raymond Gutals was appointed the new Olympic coach, with whom Canton didn’t immediately have a relationship, as well as with the club president. After the victory of “Olympic” in the championship of France in 1991, Cantona moved to “ Nimes Olympic ”.

In December 1991, playing for Nim, Cantona, who did not agree with the decision of the referee, threw the ball at him. After that, Eric was called to the disciplinary committee of the Football Federation of France and was disqualified for one month. Hearing the decision of the committee, Cantona approached each of its members, calling them "idiots." The suspension was extended to three months. This was the final blow for Canton, who announced the end of his football career in December 1991.

National team coach Michel Platini , a passionate fan of Canton, convinced him to pursue a player's career. On the advice of Gerard Ulle, Eric decided to change the championship and move to England .

Leeds United

On November 6, 1991, after Liverpool defeated Auxerre 3-0 in the second leg of the UEFA Cup second leg at Anfield , Liverpool coach Graham Suness met Michel Platini . Platini said he knows a player who would like to play for Liverpool, and the name of this player is Eric Cantona. Suness thanked Platini for the offer, but chose to refuse, not wanting to mess with the “problem” player. In January 1992, Cantona transferred to Sheffield Wensday under a test contract. After some time, he was offered to extend the probationary period for a week, but Cantona refused and moved to Leeds United for 900 thousand pounds . In the same year, Leeds won the last English championship of the “old model” ( First Division ) - the Premier League was formed the following year. Canton helped the club win the English Super Cup in a match against Liverpool. Leeds won 4–3, and Cantona made a hat trick in this match.

In November 1992, Cantona transferred to Manchester United for £ 1.2 million. Howard Wilkinson , Leeds head coach, wanted to get rid of Canton, while club fans took the news negatively. After the departure of Canton, Leeds spent an unsuccessful season in the Premier League season 1992/93, taking 17th place out of 22.

Manchester United

Cantona made his debut for Manchester United at Estadio da Luz in Lisbon in a friendly match against Benfica , which was held in honor of Eusebio’s 50th birthday. The first game for Manchester United in the Canton Championship was on December 6, 1992, replacing the Manchester City derby in Manchester City at Old Trafford in the second half. United won the match with a score of 2: 1 ^[7] .

Prior to signing a contract with Eric Canton, the 1992/93 season did not start well for Manchester United. The team had a problem with scoring goals: Brian Mackler and Mark Hughes obviously did not get in shape, and Dion Dublin , acquired in the summer, broke his leg at the very beginning of the season. Cantona helped Manchester overcome the game crisis, quickly fitting into the team’s game. He not only scored goals, but also created scoring chances for other players. Eric scored the first goal for United in a match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on December 19, 1992 (the meeting ended in a draw - 1: 1). On January 9, 1993, in a meeting with Tottenham Hotspur , Canton scored one goal and took part in the remaining goals of his team; the match ended with the victory of United with a score of 4: 1. However, Eric’s talent was comparable to his heavy character: in a match with Leeds United on Elland Road , Canton spat on one of Leeds fans, for which he was fined £ 1,000 by the Premier League leadership ^[5] .

Over the next two years, Manchester United showed excellent form by winning the first ever Premier League draw in the 1992/93 season (Cantona was the only player at that time to win two league titles in a row with different clubs. Ngolo Kante repeated his record in 2016). The following season, United took a double, adding the FA Cup to the championship title, defeating London's Chelsea 4-0 in the final match (Cantona scored two goals from the penalty spot). The French striker was recognized as the best player of the 1993/94 season according to the Professional Football Association . Eric continued to face disciplinary problems - for the season he received a record 4 red cards in the Premier League.

The following season was overshadowed by an incident on January 25, 1995 in a guest mast against Crystal Palace . During the match, home defender Richard Shaw grabbed Eric by the shirt, to which the quick-tempered Frenchman replied by hitting the offender with his foot. The judge immediately presented the Frenchman with a red card. Leaving the field, Cantona succumbed to the provocation of Crystal Palace fan Matthew Simmons, jumping into the stands and kicking the last one with a kung fu style, followed by a series of punches ^[8] .

Simmons was later charged with threatening statements and behavior, and after the verdict was “guilty,” the bully pounced on the state prosecutor right in the courtroom, jumping over the bench and inflicting the same servant in the jump that the Canton had inflicted on him. Simmons was sentenced to 7 days in prison, but in fact he spent only 24 hours behind bars, after which he was released ^[9] . At a press conference later, Cantona uttered one of his most famous phrases. Responding to a statement that journalists will constantly monitor his behavior, Cantona said: “ If the seagulls fly behind the trawler, it is only because they are waiting for the sardines to be thrown into the sea .” After this phrase, Eric got up from his seat and left the room, leaving the reporters gathered at a loss. He was sentenced to 120 hours of corrective labor for assaulting a fan, disqualified from all games until October, and fined 10 thousand pounds.

Graham Kelly, executive director of the Football Association of England, called the incident a “shameful spot” on football's reputation. ^[10] Manchester United additionally fined Canton in the amount of its two-week salaries ^[11] . In addition, Eric was deprived of the captain's armband in the French team. United lost the Blackburn Rovers championship title that season.

After this incident, there was much talk that Canton would leave England when his disqualification was completed, but Alex Ferguson convinced him to stay on the team. At the beginning of the new season, United sold a number of key players, replacing them with footballers from the youth team, so few people saw real contenders for the championship at Manchester United. Great attention was focused on the first game of Canton after serving a disqualification against Liverpool on October 1, 1995. Within 2 minutes after the start of the meeting, Canton made an assist on Nicky Butt , and then scored a goal from the penalty awarded for the demolition of Ryan Giggs . Eight months without playing practice affected Eric's condition, and he got in good shape only by Christmas. His goals helped United return to the championship race, although in January 1995 the team was 12 points behind the leading Newcastle . A series of winning matches followed with a minimum score of 1-0 in which Canton scored, and a decisive 3-0 victory over Middlesbrough in the Riverside Stadium , which became decisive in the fight for the champion title (Canton scored the first goal in this game ) In the FA Cup final against Liverpool, Eric scored a goal that turned out to be victorious. 5 minutes before the end of the match after a corner from the left, Liverpool goalkeeper David James played at the exit, knocking the ball into the field with his fists. The ball flew off to the penalty line, where Cantona was waiting for him, sending the ball “parachute” into the net. United won, and the French striker became the first foreign footballer to raise the FA Cup in the rank of captain . Cantona atoned for his scandal last year with his magnificent game, and at a press conference after the match he said: “ You know, this is life. There are ups and downs in it. ” Manchester United was the first English club to take a double (championship and FA Cup) twice.

Cantona led Manchester United to new victories and inspired young football players like Ryan Giggs, David Beckham , Paul Scholes and Gary Neville with their example. United defended their league title in the 1996/97 season , and Cantona became the champion for the fourth time in five years of his stay at United (or for the sixth time in seven years, given the titles won with Olimpik and Leeds ) - the exception was only 1995, most of which Eric missed due to disqualification. At the end of the 1996/97 season, after the defeat of Manchester by the Dortmund Borussia in the Champions League semi-finals, the 30-year-old Cantona announced that he was completing a football career. The news shocked United fans, for whom Eric became a living legend. The last official match of the Frenchman for Manchester United was a meeting against West Ham on May 11, 1997. Five days later, on May 16, Cantona played his farewell match, a friendly match against Coventry City , held in tribute to David Busst at Highfield Road . The game ended with a score of 2: 2, Eric scored both goals for United. In all, during his career at the Canton Club, he scored 82 goals, including 65 goals in the Premier League, 10 goals in the FA Cup and 5 goals in the Champions League ^[7] .

In 2004, Cantona said: “ I'm so proud that the fans are still singing my name, but I'm afraid that they will stop tomorrow. I'm afraid because I love it. And all that we love, we are afraid to lose . "

In 2006, The Sun published Eric's statement that Manchester United had “lost their soul” and the current team was “a herd of sheep.” The legend “Old Trafford” recalled the times of vivid personalities, showmen, like himself and George Best , complained that these days were over, accused the “ red devils ” of betraying their playing style to please boring football aimed at the result. In August of that year, an article was published in the seventh issue of United Magazine , where Cantona stated that he would return to Manchester United only as the “first issue” (that is, only as head coach, not assistant) and in this case he would create the team "unlike any other", which will play the way he personally, Eric Cantona, believes that you need to play football.

Cantona opposed the acquisition of the club by Glazer and stated that he would not return to Manchester United, even as head coach, until the Glazer family owns the club. This statement disappointed many Manchester United fans: according to a survey conducted in the summer of 2000, most of the club's fans voted for Canton to become the team’s future head coach after Sir Alex Ferguson left ^[12] .

Eric Cantona made his debut for the national team, then headed by Henri Michel , in a match against the FRG team in August 1987. In September 1988, Canton, upset that he was not included in the national team, insulted Michel during a television interview, for which he was disqualified by the French head coach from participating in all international matches for an indefinite time. However, Michel was soon fired for France’s failure to attend the 1990 World Cup .

Michel Platini was appointed the new coach of the French national team. He first returned Eric Canton, who was one of his favorites, to the national team. Platini said that Cantona will be called up to the national team while he plays football at a high level. He was the initiator of Eric's move to England after a period of setbacks in the French championship. France made it to the 1992 European Championships , held in Sweden , but was unable to win a single match, despite the promising partnership between strikers Eric Canton and Jean-Pierre Papin . After the European Championship ended, Platini resigned, giving way to the head coach of the national team Gerard Ulle .

France, led by Houlier, was unable to make it to the 1994 World Cup in the United States, losing in the decisive qualifying match of the Bulgarian national team with a score of 1: 2. The mistake of the French midfielder David Zhinol led to the goal of the Bulgarian striker Emil Kostadinov , who became victorious for Bulgaria ^[13] . After the match, Canton accused Ginola of defeat. Houlier was fired, and Aime Jacquet became the new coach of the team.

Jacquet began to rebuild the game of the national team in preparation for the 1996 European Championship and appointed Canton captain. However, already in January 1995, an incident occurred at Selhurst Park, after which Canton received a lengthy suspension. By the time the disqualification was completed, Canton had lost his role as a playmaker for the French team due to the appearance of a new star in the person of young Zinedine Zidane . Jacquet updated the team, inviting a number of young players, and began to build a game around Zidane. Canton, Papen and Ginola were no longer called up for the national team, having missed Euro 1996 . Many criticized Jacques for refusing to invite Eric Canton, who had gained excellent form in the English Premier League, but the French head coach said that the team plays well without Canton and believes in young players ^[14] .

Cantona still holds a grudge against the leadership of the French national team, while admiring its "acquired homeland": during Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup, Cantona was a fan of the England team , not France ^[15] .

Canton matches and goals for the French team

Total: 45 matches / 20 goals; 25 wins, 13 draws, 7 losses.

Team Achievements

  Olympic (Marseille)

• Champion First Division France : 1990/91
• French Cup Winner: 1988/89

  Montpellier

• French Cup Winner: 1989/90

  Leeds United

• Football League First Division Champion : 1991/92
• Super Bowl Winner : 1992

  "Manchester United"

• Champion of the English Premier League ( 4 ): 1992/93 , 1993/94 , 1995/96 , 1996/97
• FA Cup Winner ( 2 ): 1993/94 , 1995/96
• Super Bowl of England ( 3 ): 1993 , 1994 , 1996

Personal Achievements

• Winner of the Bronze Ball of the third European football player (according to France Football magazine): 1993
• The best football player in Europe (Onze d'Or) : 1996
• Player of the Year according to PFA players : 1994
• AFJ footballer of the year : 1996
• Included in the “team of the year” according to the PFA : 1993/94
• Sir Matt Busby Prize Winner ( 2 ): 1993/94, 1995/96
• Inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame : 2002
• Included in the symbolic Premier League team for the decade (1993-2003): 2003
• Included in the list of " FIFA 100 "
• Golden Foot : 2012 (in the "Football Legends" nomination)

Before the end of his football career, Eric Canton began acting in films. His debut film was " Love in the Meadows " (1995) Etienne Châtillier , where Canton played one of the secondary roles. Later, he became a sought-after actor and continued to regularly play in films (in particular, in the film “ Elizabeth ” (1998), which received several BAFTA awards ). In 2009, Cantona performed the role of himself in the film " Finding Eric, " which was nominated for the Golden Palm Branch of the Cannes Film Festival .

Filmography

• 1995 - Love in the Meadows / Le bonheur est dans le pré
• 1998 - Elizabeth
• 1998 - Walk with the morons / Mookie
• 1999 - Children of Nature / Les Enfants du Marais
• 2001 - Great Life / La Grande Vie!
• 2003 - The Glutton / L'Outremangeur
• 2003 - Car Keys / Les Clefs de bagnole
• 2005 - Our crazy life / La vie est à nous!
• 2007 - Second Wind / Le Deuxième Souffle
• 2008 - Jack Says
• 2009 - Looking for Eric / Looking for Eric
• 2010 - Together Is Too / Ensemble, c'est trop
• 2011 - Forced / De force
• 2011 - Substitution / Switch
• 2012 - Hip Movement / Les Mouvements du bassin
• 2012 - The Plague of the Area / Les Kaïra
• 2013 - Meetings After Midnight / Les Rencontres d'après minuit / You and the Night
• 2014 - Salvation

• In 2008, a stadium in the city of Tignes was named after Eric Canton, where the Lyon Olympic and the French team are training ^[16] .
• In November 2010, Canton called on Europeans to “revolutionize” the existing financial system. He proposed putting an end to the usurious and criminal banking system by closing his bank accounts on the same day on December 7, 2010 ^[17] .
• Eric has a brother Joel - A former football player, now an actor in film and television.
• January 10, 2012 announced his intention to run for president of France ^[18] .

Club career

Выступления за сборную

В середине 1980-х Кантона женился на Изабель Феррер. Она родила Эрику двоих детей: Рафаэля (1988) и Жозефину (1995). Впоследствии супруги развелись.

Вторым браком Кантона сочетался с актрисой Рашидой Бракни (2007), которая была его партнёром в фильме «Обжора». У Эрика и Рашиды двое детей: Эмир (родился 25 октября 2009 года) ^[22] и дочь Сельма (17 октября 2013) ^[23] .

• Профиль футболиста на официальном сайте «Манчестер Юнайтед» (англ.)
• Player profile on soccerbase.com
• Eric Cantona на сайте Instagram
• Эрик Кантона (англ.) на сайте Internet Movie Database