Eric Cantona » BBC

Cantona Interview on Football Focus (10 mins)

Linus — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 05:12:51 +0000

Cantona Interview with BBC

Cantona Interview with BBC

Linus — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 00:00:22 +0000

Eric Cantona spoke to the BBC’s Dan Walker on Football Focus.

As well as talking about his new role with the New York Cosmos, Cantona touches on that infamous night at Selhurst Park.

The extended 10-minute interview can be seen in Football Focus on Saturday from 1215 on BBC One, so be sure not to miss it.

As promised by EricCantona.com, here are some excerpts from that interview!

Cantona talks about why he lashed out at Matthew Simmons, who still draws the ire of Cantona fans all over the World.

“When I did the kung-fu on the hooligan,” he said, “I did it because these kind of people don’t have to be in the game.

“I think maybe it’s like a dream for some people – to kick these kinds of people. So I did it for them. So then they are happy.

“It’s a kind of freedom for them. So I speak about that. Maybe they felt it. Something special, physically.”

Cantona conceded it was a mistake to allow his feelings to take control, resulting in an 8 month ban from football, but he added:

“I’ve seen so many players scoring goals. They know this kind of feeling, but this one? A player jump and kick a hooligan? It’s not the kind of thing you see every day.

“But, that’s life. That’s me. You take it or not. I’m strong enough to come back.”

Cantona also confessed that he does not know where any of his football medals are.

“I don’t care about the past. It was great but I don’t want to think about it. I want to look forward,” he said.

“I don’t know where my medals are. Nothing. No shirt. Nothing.

“I played for France 45 times. We got two shirts for every game, so that’s 90. I don’t have even one.

“You can feel very quickly a prisoner of your past. Of your memories. I prefer to be free and think about tomorrow.”

Finally, on the dying question every Manchester United fan wants to know about whether he would return to Manchester United.

“He is one of the greatest of all time all around the world. For more than 20 years he has stayed at the same club with different generations of players.

“I admire him. He is a great psychologist. he adapts himself to all generations of players. He is a kind of genius.

“I learned from him, but now I am a free bird with my own wings. Now I am involved with New York Cosmos.

“But we will see in the future.”

Cantona – Live in Singapore

Linus — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:00:57 +0000

That’s the end of our live coverage of Eric Cantona in Singapore, we hope you enjoyed our coverage and stay tuned to more details of the interviews, etc that Cantona gave out over the course of his stay in Singapore!

All times are in Singapore Time (SGT).
SGT is 8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, GMT +8.

Unconfirmed
Charity event at Mandarin Orchard Hotel

March 6, 2011
11:00: Official launch of New York Cosmos jersey (Umbro) at Weston branch @Queensway Shopping Centre.

March 5, 2011
10:28: Cantona arrives at the Courts Megastore @Tampines

March 4, 2011 (Scheduled)
14:30 – 15:30: Singapore Sports School

March 3, 2011

20:38: Ten lucky people get to have a group photo call with Cantona and Pele.

20:35: Cantona and Pele get onto the pitch during half-time of the S-League match between the Courts Young Lions & Geylang United.

18:15: Press conference ends and Cantona is off to a one-on-one interview with BBC.

18:05: The heat and humidity must be getting to Cantona; that’s another bottle of water down.

17:59: Reporting Live from the Jalan Besar Stadium where a press conference is being held for the announcement of the partnership between the New York Cosmos & Courts, and the official launch of the Courts Young Lions Fan Club.

17:42: Cantona arrives at the Jalan Besar Stadium in a Bentley.

09:53: Final wrap from Cantona indicates that the Q&A session should have started later. Even Pele commented that the last time he woke up so early was back in the army!

09:51: Cantona says it’s a dream for everybody to play for the New York Cosmos. Everybody he called accepted! Midas touch from the King and Pele!

09:50: The New York Cosmos All Stars will play a match in New York City on June 26, 2011. The team will be managed by Cantona.

09:47: Cantona on what technology he would use to improve the game – to use video technology for offside calls. With so many offside calls every week, using technology could relieve the pressure off referees, who are also afraid to make the wrong calls for fear of being ostracized.

09:42: Cantona poser on what he would do if he was appointed FIFA president – not the kind of thing he likes to do. Adds that he would prefer to lead a life of his own and being diplomatic is not ultimately his thing.

09:18: Cantona has been to New York & LA academies, seen some wonderful players of all ages. Wants to follow the great example set by Cruyff with Barcelona with grooming young players. Believes Barcelona are the strongest team in the World at the moment.

09:10: Cantona on why he decided to join New York Cosmos – New York Cosmos a special team and a big club in the USA. Added that it was a huge project with more great prospects coming through the academies and believes that USA will eventually one day win the World Cup.

08:34: Cantona takes his seat in the Marina Bay Sands ballroom

08:23: awaiting Cantona’s arrival in Marina Bay Sands ballroom

08:00: photo with Cantona!

EricCantona.com was able to cover Eric Cantona in Singapore with the kind assistance of the people from The American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (AmCham Singapore), Vanda Sports Group & Fulford PR.

BBC Interview with Cantona about New York Cosmos

Linus — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 04:05:13 +0000

The BBC spoke to Eric Cantona after he joined the New York Cosmos. Here are excerpts from that interview.

So Eric, thanks for speaking on this. Just a few questions about you and Cosmos. Firstly, it’s been said that the team will be launched in 2013, isn’t that a long way off?
The conception was beautiful, a thing of passion and purpose and now we must enter the pregnancy before we can give birth to the child that will be Cosmos. As you will know, the gestation period for a human is 9 months but with Cosmos the birth will not be until 2013. A long hard pregnancy maybe but an African Elephant has a gestation period of nearly two years and the result is the most impressive animal on the savannah.

Ok, you’ve said that Cosmos will be a mixture of football and art, can you explain this further?
A man has to ask himself ‘Can there be a mixture of football and art?’ as football IS art and therefore from a narrow perspective maybe art IS football. It is not something I can explain for you but something that you have to find the answers for within.

Right, any ideas though how we may see art on the football pitch?
For example, should one of our players be unhappy at the decision of a match referee and feel the need to protest then we will not tolerate any obscenities or barracking. Instead he and his teammates must display their grievance through the medium of mime.

How do you think Manchester United supporters will feel about your involvement with a new club?
If you have one child, you love them. If you have two children, do you love them each less? As my boat sails forth on this adventure, well stocked with sardines, it will never replace my feelings for Manchester United, just expand my soul to feel more.

Does this mark the end of your acting career?
Acting cannot be restricted by a career, this is a misconception. Acting is all around us, for example if I told you your tie was nice would I be lying just to pay you a compliment? No, I joke as your tie is nice. Or is it? You see you are now not aware of my true opinions on your tie as I have acted one way or another.

The team does not have a stadium or any players or even a license to play in Major League Soccer, do these not seem like big hurdles?
If you were a hurdler and beginning a race and the hurdles seemed too big and fearsome then you would not soar over them. I now have my feet in the blocks ready to start, if I clip a hurdle then I will not fall but continue and at the line I will bow my head to be sure of victory. I await the fire of the starting gun and I will be the first one out.

What if you make a false start?
What has that to do with anything? We are talking about building a football club, if you’re going to go off track we’ll leave it there.

Matt Smith wants Eric Cantona on Doctor Who

Linus — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 06:12:54 +0000

Matt Smith has revealed that he is hoping Eric Cantona will guest star in the next series of Doctor Who.

Smith, who plays the 11th incarnation of The Doctor, has already put forth the idea to head writer Steven Moffat.

He told the TV Times: “I’d like Eric to do one and I’ve mentioned it to Steven Moffat. Eric’s got to be bad!”

Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

Cantona: Looking For Eric is universal

Interview with Jonathan Ross

Linus — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:08:12 +0000

Cantona interview at Cannes