Eric Cantona

Eric Cantona

Full Name : Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona
Born : 24.05.1966
Born in : Marseille, France
Nationality : France
Height : 188 cm
Weight : 89 kg


Statistic Career

Club

Period Team Country
11/1992 - 06/1997 Manchester United England
01/1992 - 10/1992 Leeds United England
07/1991 -12/1991 Nimes Olympique France
07/1990 - 06/1991 Olympique Marseille France
07/1989 - 06/1990 Montpellier SC France
03/1989 - 06/1989 Girondins Bordeaux France
07/1988 - 02/1989 Olympique Marseille France
07/1986 - 06/1988 AJ Auxerre France
01/1986 - 06/1986 FC Martigues France
07/1981 - 12/1985 AJ Auxerre France
07/1980 - 06/1981 OGC Nice France

International Competition

* Friendlies 1990
* Friendlies 1987
* EURO 1992 Sweden


National Team

Eric Cantona was given his full international début against West Germany in August 1987 by the then national team manager Henri Michel. In September 1988, angered after being dropped from the national team, Cantona insulted Michel in a post-match TV interview and was indefinitely banned from all international matches. However, Michel was sacked shortly after that having failed to qualify for the 1990 World Cup.

The new coach was Michel Platini and one of his first acts was to recall Cantona who was a favourite of his. He claimed that Cantona would be selected as long as he was playing competitive top-class football; Platini had initiated Cantona's move to England to restart his career. France qualified for the 1992 European Football Championship held in Sweden, but failed to win a single game despite the striking partnership of Cantona and Jean-Pierre Papin. Platini resigned after the finals to be replaced by Gerard Houllier.

Under Houllier, France then failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup in the U.S. after losing the final game 2:1 at home to Bulgaria when a draw would have sufficed. David Ginola gave away possession in the game which led to Bulgaria's winning goal by Emil Kostadinov. Cantona was reportedly angry with Ginola after the game. Houllier resigned and Aime Jacquet took over.

Jacquet began to rebuild the national team in preparation for Euro 1996 (the 1996 European Championship) and appointed Cantona as the captain. Cantona remained the captain until the Selhurst Park incident in January 1995. The suspension which resulted from this incident also prevented him from playing in international matches.

By the time Cantona's suspension had been completed, he had lost his role as the team's playmaker to another star, Zinedine Zidane, as Jacquet had revamped the squad with some new blood and built it around Zidane. Cantona, Papin and Ginola were never again selected for the French team and missed Euro 96. Though there was criticism about Cantona's omission, as he was playing his best football in the FA Premier League, Jacquet himself 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. The decision was vindicated as Les Blues subsequently won the World Cup in 1998.

To this day, Cantona still harbours resentment for the people at the head of his national team but also admiration for his adopted football country; at EURO 2004 and the 2006 FIFA World Cup, he supported England and not France.