Eric Cantona

At 58 years old, Eric Cantona has this physical status:

Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona (born 24 May 1966) is a French actor and former professional footballer.

He played for Auxerre, Martigues, Marseille, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nîmes and Leeds United before ending his career at Manchester United where he won four Premier League titles in five years and two League and FA Cup Doubles.

He won the league championship in seven of his last eight full seasons as a professional.

At international level, he played for the France national team. A large, physically strong, hard-working, and tenacious forward, who combined technical skill and creativity with power and goalscoring ability, Cantona is often regarded as having played a key role in the revival of Manchester United as a footballing force in the 1990s and having an iconic status at the club.

He wore the number 7 shirt at Manchester United with his distinctive upturned collar.

Cantona is affectionately nicknamed by Manchester United fans as "King Eric", and was voted as Manchester United's greatest ever player by Inside United magazine.

Set against his achievements in football was a poor disciplinary record for much of his career, including a 1995 conviction for an assault on a fan for which he received an eight-month suspension.Following his retirement from football in 1997, he took up a career in cinema and had a role in the 1998 film Elizabeth, starring Cate Blanchett, the 2008 film French Film, and the 2009 film Looking for Eric.

In 2010, he debuted as a stage actor in Face au Paradis, a play directed by his wife, Rachida Brakni.

Cantona also took an interest in the sport of beach soccer, and as player-manager of the French national team, he won the 2005 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.Charismatic and outspoken, Cantona was an inaugural inductee into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002.

The museum states: "The enigmatic Frenchman was one of the Premier League's most controversial players ever".

At the Premier League 10 Seasons Awards in 2003 Cantona was voted the Overseas Player of the Decade.

In 2004 he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.

Early life

Cantona was born in Marseille on 24 May 1966, the son of dressmaker Éléonore Raurich, and nurse and painter Albert Cantona. His mother was Spanish and came from Barcelona, while his paternal grandfather was Italian and had emigrated to Marseille from Sardinia. While fighting the armies of General Franco in the Spanish Civil War in 1938, Cantona's maternal grandfather, Pere Raurich, suffered a serious injury to his liver and had to retreat to France for medical treatment with his wife; they stayed in Saint-Priest, Ardèche, before settling in Marseille. The Cantona family home was a cave in one of the hills in the Les Caillols area of Marseille, between the city's 11th and 12th arrondissements, and it was rumoured to have been used as a lookout post for the Wehrmacht towards the end of the Second World War. The site was chosen in the mid-1950s by Cantona's paternal grandmother, whose husband was a stonemason. By the time Cantona was born in 1966, the hillside cave had become little more than a room in the family's house, which was now up to a habitable standard. Cantona has two brothers: Jean-Marie, who is four years older, and Joël, who is 17 months younger.

Personal life

Cantona married Isabelle Ferrer in 1987, and they had two children together before divorcing in 2003. He married actress Rachida Brakni in 2007; they also have two children together.

Cantona's brother, Joël, is also a former footballer who retired at a young age and went into acting. His cousin, Sacha Opinel, is also a footballer and his nephew, Martin Cantona, is goalkeeper for a Montreal university team.

Source

Club career

Cantona began his football career with SO Caillolais, his hometown team and one that featured players like Roger Jouve and Christophe Galtier, among others. Cantona's father was a keen shooter and played as a goalkeeper at first, but his creative instincts would take over, and he's expected to see up front more often. Cantona played in more than 200 matches during his time with SO Caillolais.

Cantona's first professional club was Auxerre, where he spent two years with the youth team before making his debut in a 4–0 league win over Nancy on November 5th. In 1984, his football career was put on hold as he completed his national service. Cantona scored his first goal for Auxerre on May 14, 1985, scoring an open goal to put his team 2–0 up against Rouen in a critical match that puts pressure on AS Monaco. Auxerre played Strasbourg on the final matchday of the season, with Auxerre requiring one point to gain qualification for the following seasons' UEFA Cup; Cantona scored the equalizing goal from 25 yards out for the first time at halftime. Since being released, he was loaned out to Martigues, France's Second Division, before returning to Auxerre and signing a professional contract in 1986. His success in the First Division earned him his first international cap.

Cantona was back in danger again this year after a three-month suspension for Nantes player Michel Der Zakarian, which culminated in a three-month suspension, but his club Auxerre threatened to keep him out of contention for selection in the national team. He was a member of the France under-21 team that won the 1988 European Championships, scoring a hat-trick against the England under-21 team in a quarter-final against the England under-21 side, and then moved to Marseille for a French record fee (FF22 million). Cantona had grown up as a Marseille fan.

He kicked the ball at the crowd in January 1989, then ripped off and threw away his shirt after being substituted. His club responded by excluding him for a month. He had been barred from international matches for a year after insulting national coach Henri Michel on television just a few months ago.

Having failed to settle at Marseille, Cantona, we moved to Bordeaux on a six-month loan and then Montpellier on a year-long loan. He was involved in a brawl with colleague Jean-Claude Lemoult and threw his boots in Lemoult's face. Six players pleaded for Cantona's dismissal, but the team retained his services despite a ban on him from the ground for ten days. Cantona was instrumental in the team's win of the French Cup, but Marseille refused to exclude him and his form persuaded Marseille to dismiss him.

Cantona's mother, Gerard Gili, and his replacement Franz Beckenbauer all did well under coach Gerard Gili and his successor Franz Beckenbauer. Bernard Tapie, the Marseille chairman, was dissatisfied with the team's results, and dismissed Beckenbauer with Raymond Goethals; Cantona was also at odds with Goethals and Tapie; despite helping the team win the French Division 1 title, he was sent to Nîmes the following year for a ten-year deal.

He threw the ball at the referee in December 1991, during a match for Nîmes, having been enraged by one of his rulings. He was summoned by the French Football Federation to a disciplinary hearing and was barred for one month. Cantona responded by waving to members of the hearing committee's in turn and describing them as a "idiot." His suspension was extended to two months, and Cantona announced his retirement from football on December 16, 1991. Michel Platini, France's national team coach, was a fan of Cantona and begged him not to return to form a new one. Gérard Houllier's recommendation as well as his psychoanalyst's, he returned to England to restart his career: "He [my psychoanalyst] advised me not to sign for Marseille and recommended that I go to England"

Liverpool boss Graeme Souness was welcomed by Frenchman Michel Platini at the end of the game, who informed him that Cantona was available to Liverpool on Monday. Souness thanked Platini but turned down the bid, citing a lack of dressing room harmony as his explanation. When Platini and Francis' ex agent, Dennis Roach, approached Trevor Francis, after being turned down by Liverpool, Cantona, was arraigned in a hearing at Sheffield on Wednesday. In a 2012 interview, Francis explained that he had agreed to bring Cantona on as a favour to Roach and Platini, who had been playing in Italy, and that it was meant as a way for Cantona to put himself in the "shop window": the squad had only recently promoted to the top flight, but the club could not afford to keep him on. Cantona spent two days with Wednesday, training and playing in an indoor tournament at Sheffield Arena.

Cantona's move to Leeds United was announced in January 1992. Leeds will pay £100,000 to Nîmes to borrow him on loan until April 15th, after which they'll have to pay another £900,000 to sign him permanently. In a 2–0 loss at Oldham Athletic on 8 February 1992, Cantona made his Leeds debut. He played for Leeds in the final Football League First Division title before being promoted by the Premier League as the top division in English football. He made 15 appearances in the tournament, and despite only scoring three goals, he was instrumental in the team's triumph, mainly with assists for leading goalscorer Lee Chapman. Cantona scored his first goal for Leeds in a 2–0 victory over Luton Town on Sunday, setting up Chapman's other goal. Cantona struggled to find a spot in an established lineup six weeks before signing for Leeds, with boss Howard Wilkinson preferring to keep him on tiring defenses. Cantona came off the bench to set up a goal for Gary McAllister against Tottenham Hotspur, putting Leeds two points ahead of Manchester United, who had a game in hand. Cantona was deployed as part of a front three along with Chapman and Rod Wallace in a 5–1 thrashing of Wimbledon, scoring Leeds' fourth goal of the game.

Leeds' title hopes survived the difficult conditions of Highbury (one-one draw with Cantona denied a first-half penalty by David Seaman) and West Ham's (a 0–0 draw with Cantona being denied a first-half kick by a questionable offside call); however, Manchester United defeated Manchester City 4–0, allowing Manchester United to claim first-half pride again. Cantona came on for Wallace with 20 minutes to go and Leeds leading 1–0; Chapman's 20th goal of the season was set up with a lob at Chelsea defender Paul Elliott. Leeds promised to finish Cantona's transfer from Nîmes for £900,000. Wilkinson revealed it two days later. Cantona was paid £7,000 a week, a significant expense in an age without television or European football revenues. Leeds went unbeaten in their final five games, securing the league title on the penultimate weekend after Manchester United lost to Liverpool after losing 3–2.

Cantona won by a hat-trick in the Charity Shield's first hat-trick since Tommy Taylor in 1957. Cantona's hat-trick places him among the select group of players to have scored three or more goals in games at Wembley Stadium. Leeds started their title defense with a 2–1 victory over Wimbledon on August 15th; Cantona got off to a good game but not until 17 games. Cantona scored his first league goal of the season in a 4–1 loss at Middlesbrough and followed it up with another hat-trick, the first in the newly promoted Premier League, after defeating Tottenham on 25 August in a 5–0 victory over Tottenham. Cantona then travelled to Paris to join the French national team for a friendly against Brazil on the same day, thanks to newly installed manager Gérard Houllier's desire to have the entire squad present for his first match.

Despite good results by Cantona, drawing two excellent saves from a young David James against fellow title challengers Liverpool on 29 August and scoring a brace against Oldham three days later, Leeds slipped into mid-table with a pair of 2–2 draws. On 2 September, Leeds defeated Manchester United 2–0 at Old Trafford, with Cantona coming off the bench and almost scoring with a bicycle kick. Leeds' first participation in the European Cup since 1974–75 began poorly with a 3–0 loss at Stuttgart on September 16th; Cantona, suffering from a hamstring injury, was unable to play again, triggering Stuttgart's first goal. Manager Wilkinson was dismissed by a handout. Cantona skipped the next two games, a 1–1 draw at Southampton and a 4–1 victory over Scunthorpe United in the League Cup, due to injury, but Leeds beat Everton 21-0 on September 26th.

Leeds defeated Stuttgart in the return leg of the European Cup four days later. Cantona and Gordon Strachan joined Gary Speed to set up Gary Speed, who scored with a left-footed volley, with the 'Mission Impossible'. Andreas Buck equalized for Stuttgart in the 34th minute, marking the away goal for Leeds, who needed another four to advance. McAllister had a penalty just before halftime to make it 2–1 to Leeds, but Cantona's looping shot in the 66th minute was deflected into his own net by Günther Schäfer in the 66th minute. In the 78th minute, Chapman's header at the near post made it 4–1, but Stuttgart stayed strong and denied Leeds the decisive fifth goal. However, Leeds had a stroke of luck when it emerged after Stuttgart's coach, Christoph Daum, had fielded four 'foreign' players, one more than allowed. Leeds was given a 3–0 victory by the UEFA, and a play-off match was called at Barcelona's neutral Camp Nou on October 9th.

Leeds eventually lost 4–2 at Ipswich Town, with Cantona's form fading due to exhaustion and injury. Leeds beat Stuttgart 21-0 in the play-off, but he had a bad game. Cantona and Jean-Pierre Papin scored in a 2–0 win over Austria after returning to national service. He returned to England, helping with a 3–1 victory over Sheffield United in October. This game will, however, be Cantona's last victory since being with Leeds.

Leeds was drawn against Rangers in the European Cup, a match that was described as 'The Battle of Britain' by the media. Despite McAllister's first-minute goal, Cantona and Leeds struggled against the physical Rangers team's side, falling 2–1 amid a packed Ibrox crowd. After being drafted, Cantona walked straight to the dressing room, which Wilkinson interpreted as disrespectful to the other participants. Leeds lost the return leg 2–1,1 with Mark Hateley and Ally McCoist, before Cantona scored a late consolation goal. Cantona was an unoccupied substitute as Leeds travelled to Queens Park Rangers as Wilkinson, who preferred a more direct approach, but there was no space for him in between the two games. Leeds lost 2–1, with Cantona leaving for France after being allowed leave on the morning of the match. In a 2–2 draw at home to Coventry City, Wallace was the preferred to begin over Cantona. Leeds' title defense imploded in October, just as Arsenal's had in the previous season, despite winning only one out of four games.

Cantona did get off to a rocky start in the 4–0 loss at Manchester City on November 7th, but the team's rest of the team put in a hapless show. As Watford kicked Cantona out of the League Cup on November ten, they were found guilty of "two dreadful misses." Despite suffering with his squad, Wilkinson, rather than Cantona, was kept accountable for his decision to re-energize a team of an ageing cast member. Despite Cantona's (with his shoulder) for France against Finland four days later, Wilkinson kept him out of the team, citing an unconvincing explanation of a "groin strain" as the Gunners' resounding 3–0 win over Arsenal, putting an end to the Gunners' six-game winning streak. Cantona refused to register for training and faxed a transfer request to the club on November 24th, citing a desire to join Manchester United, Liverpool, or Arsenal.

Leeds fans are outraged over Cantona's impending transfer from Leeds to Manchester United, a fierce rivalry. The transfer was, on the other hand, seen as a good piece of business by most football analysts, excluding a volatile player from the team.

On November 26, 1992, Cantona left Leeds for Manchester United for £1 million. Bill Fotherby, the Leeds chairman, had called Manchester United chairman Martin Edwards to inquire about Denis Irwin's availability. Edwards was in a meeting with boss Alex Ferguson at the time, and they decided that Irwin was not for sale. Ferguson had discovered that his team was in need of a striker, having recently made unsuccessful bids for David Hirst, Matt Le Tissier, and Brian Deane, and had advised his chairman to inquire if Cantona was for sale. However, Fotherby had to consult with Wilkinson, but the contract was complete within a few days.

Cantona had arrived too late to register at Arsenal's 1–0 victory on Sunday 28 November, but his new team won a vital victory at Highbury, but the audience was roaring victory. He made his first appearance for the club in a friendly match against Benfica in Lisbon on December 1st, marking Eusébio's 50th birthday and wearing the number 10 shirt. On December 6, he made his competitive debut against Manchester City as a second-half replacement against Old Trafford. United defeated 2–1, although Cantona made no difference that day.

Prior to Cantona's signing, United's season had been dismal. They were falling behind Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers in the first Premier League title race, as well as surprise opponents, Norwich City and Queens Park Rangers. Goalscoring had been a problem since the halfway point of the previous season, when they lost or were held to draws at the hands of teams they had hoped to beat. Ferguson first attempted to sign Alan Shearer from Southampton during the 1992-closed season, but the club lost out to Blackburn Rovers. He then spent £1 million on Dion Dublin, who suffered a broken leg a few games into the season and was out of action for six months. David Hirst, a £3 million bid for Sheffield Wednesday, was turned down, and United's seventh position in the Premier League had been claimed by 7 November.

Cantona quickly integrated, slotting in alongside Mark Hughes, while Brian McClair was switched to midfield. Cantona was instrumental in the team's emergence, not only in scoring but also in creating opportunities for the other players. His first United goal came in a 1–1 draw against Chelsea on 19 December 1992, and his second came on Boxing Day in a 3–3 draw against Sheffield Wednesday, where they claimed a point after being 3–0 down by the hour marker. However, the controversies were never far away, and on his return to Elland Road to play Leeds a few weeks later, he spat at a fan and was fined £1,000 by the Football Association. After Cantona's return to the league, United dominated the season for the first time in 26 years, with Cantona becoming the first player to win consecutive English top division titles with various clubs. He had been with various clubs for three years in a row, and he was instrumental in Marseille's 1991 victory in the French league.

United stayed in the Premier League, while Cantona's two goals gave them a 4–0 victory over Chelsea in the 1994 FA Cup Final. In the Football League Cup, he also earned a runners-up medal, which the team lost 3–1 to Aston Villa. He was also named PFA Player of the Year for that year, and he ended as the United's highest scorer with 25 goals in all competitions. However, the season was not without its moments of controversies; Cantona was suspended after the team lost the Champions League to Galatasaray, and then against Arsenal, and then against Arsenal; Cantona was suspended for five games, including an FA Cup semi-final match against Oldham Athletic, which United disqualified 1–1. In a 2-0 win, Cantona was able to play for the Manchester Derby two weeks later and scored both goals.

The Premier League's 1993-1994 season was the first season of squad numbers. Cantona was issued with the number 7 shirt, which he retained for the remainder of his United Kingdom career and which had already had legendary status having worn by club legends like George Best and Bryan Robson. However, squad numbers were not set for the Champions League matches, and Cantona wore the number 9 shirt in the four fixtures against Kispest Honvéd and Galatasaray both home and away. In a 3–1 win over Aston Villa (the previous season's runners-up), he scored two goals against Aston Villa (the previous season's runners-up) on December 19th, putting United 13 points clear at the top of the standings. They pushed their lead to 16 points straight away and finished eight points ahead of runners-up Blackburn. Cantona was United's best scorer in all competitions with 26 goals.

United hoped to win their third straight league title in 1994–95, and for the first half of the season, conditions were good enough for player and club. With a 2–0 win over Blackburn in the Charity Shield, Cantona scored a penalty, the season began. Cantona was often scoring for Manchester United, who put considerable emphasis on a Blackburn side that dominated the table for the remainder of the season, particularly after a 4–2 victory at Ewood Park in late October, where Cantona was on the scoresheet. He was also on the scoresheet in a thrilling 5–0 win over Manchester City in January, and after a 1–0 home victory over Blackburn that made the title fight even closer and brought Cantona's total number of league goals to 12 to 12. In an FA Cup third round victory over Sheffield United, he had scored a second goal, and a second double was also possible. And while Cole was cup-tied for FA Cup fixtures, the signing of striker Andy Cole from Newcastle United on January 10th raised these aspirations even more.

He was involved in an incident that drew national attention and controversy around the world on January 25, 1995. Cantona was kicked out by the referee for kicking Palace defender Richard Shaw after Shaw had tense Cantona throughout the game by closely marking him. Cantona's 'kung-fu' style of kick into the crowd, directed at Palace supporter Matthew Simmons, who had run down 11 rows of stairs to confront and shout abuse at Cantona, as he approached the tunnel. Simmons was accused of using the phrase "Fuck off to France, you French bastard." Cantona followed the kick with a series of punches. A lengthy suspension from the game was considered inevitable by some commentators, who wanted Cantona to be barred from playing football in England for life, while others called for a ban from football for life.

Cantona was also charged with assault on the 23rd, resulting in a two-week prison term, but he was released on bail pending an appeal. The appeal court reversed this a week later, and instead he was sentenced to 120 hours of community service, which was spent teaching children at United's training ground. Cantona's called a press conference later today in a deliberate and deliberate way: a stumbling and deliberate act when capping a press conference later: Cantona said in a stassive and deliberate way.

Cantona emerged from his chair and hurriedly left, leaving a packed media room erupting and baffled, with others in the room unable to decipher his cryptic words. United's first move was to fine Cantona £20,000 for the assault and announce that he did not play for the first team for the remainder of the season, although United were still looking for a second double. Coach Aimé Jacquet had also stripped him of the captaincy of France's national team. The FA lifted the ban to eight months (up to and including 30 September 1995) and fined him a further £10,000. Graham Kelly, the FA Chief Executive, described his assault as "a stain on our game" that brought shame on football. The suspension was announced as global, implying that Cantona would not be able to escape the ban by being transferred or loaned to a foreign club. Cantona has never tried for the French national team again. His club lost the Premier League title to Blackburn.

Cantona's release had sparked rumors that he would leave United for a foreign club when his suspension ended, and many observers predicted that despite Inter Milan's efforts to lure his teammate Paul Ince to Italy this year, Ferguson refused to remain in Manchester.

Cantona's new deal was still bitter, and he did not even agree to play in friendly matches behind closed doors on August 8th, as he no longer wanted to play football in England. This came after United had been fined by the FA for fielding Cantona in a friendly match against another club at the club's training ground, but the club didn't announce the match as being outside of training, despite the club's responsibility being determined as such. Following a meeting with Ferguson in Paris, the request was turned down two days later, and he announced that he would keep the club. Cantona said that the assault on Simmons was "a great feeling" and a fond memory that fans would treasure, but "it was a mistake." In 2002, the Kung fu kick's notoriety ranked it 12nd on Channel 4's list of the 100 Greatest Sporting Moments.

Cantona scored a goal two minutes into the game against Liverpool on October 1, 1995, and then scored a penalty after Ryan Giggs was fouled to give United a point in a 2–2 home draw. However, eight months of professional football had taken their toll, and Cantona had struggled for form ahead of Christmas – the gap between United and league leaders Newcastle had widened to ten points by the 24th of December.

However, United went undefeated in 12 consecutive league matches, including Cantona's first trip to Selhurst Park since he was banned, during which he scored twice twice in a 4–2 victory over Wimbledon. United defeated Newcastle in the title race on Sunday, with Cantona scoring the game's only goal on the game with a 25-yard half-volley. The game will continue for the remainder of the season. The goal came as part of his personal scoring streak for Cantona's six consecutive league games, four of which saw him score the game's only goal. He scored his fifth in a 5–0 victory over Nottingham Forest on the penultimate day of the season, ensuring United was only able to avoid defeating Middlesbrough on the final day; they won 3–0 for their third league title in four years. Cantona's top scorer with 14 goals from 30 league appearances ended the season.

Cantona's suspension meant he was unable to participate in their League Cup or UEFA Cup campaigns, but he did score in four of United's six games against Liverpool, their third in a row in the competition. Cantona wore the armband for the final and assumed the captain's role by volleying in the 86th minute after Liverpool struggled to clear a corner. United's win made them the first club to win the Double twice and Cantona the first FA Cup-winning captain from outside the British Isles.

Following Bruce's departure to Birmingham City, Cantona was named United's captain for the 1996–97 season. United maintained the league in the 1996-1997 season, winning four league titles in five years with the team and six in seven years, with the exception being the 1994–95 season, where he had missed the second half of the season by suspension. Cantona's standout moment in his last season was a goal and memorable celebration against Sunderland in December 1996; after chipping Sunderland goalkeeper Lionel Pérez from just outside the penalty box, the goalkeeper was raised his arms before greeting McClair, who had provided the assist.

He announced that he would be retiring from football at the age of 30 at the end of the season. On May 11, 1997, David Busst's last competitive game against West Ham was his last appearance before retirement, and his last match before retiring was on May 16th, a tribute to him. Cantona scored a total of 64 league goals for United, 13 in domestic cup tournaments, and 5 in the Champions League, bringing his total number to 82 goals in less than five years.

Cantona was included on the Football League's list of 100 Legends in 1998 as part of its centennial season celebrations. Cantona's success in the English League were even more highlighted in 2002 when he was made an inaugural inductee of the English Football Hall of Fame. Cantona hosted a match between Manchester United players and families in 1998, but it was later merged with a testimonial for Cantona himself.

Alex Ferguson's 1999 autobiography Manage My Life, he said that Cantona had informed him of his decision to pull out of football within 24 hours of Manchester United's Champions League semi-final loss to Borussia Dortmund, although the decision wasn't announced until almost a month later. During that time, there had been rumors about his future at Manchester United, including talk of a move to Real Zaragoza of Spain. Cantona said of his premature retirement: "When you quit football it is not easy, your life becomes difficult." I should know because I sometimes feel I quit too early. I loved the game but I no longer had the energy to go to bed early, not to go out with my friends, not to drink, and not to do a lot of other things, which is what I love doing in life." "I'm so proud the fans still sing my name," Cantona's was quoted as saying in 2004, but I'm afraid they will no longer be able to sing my name tomorrow." I get it because I love it. You'll miss everything you love, and you'll be able to miss out."

In August 2006, he was interviewed in Manchester United's official newspaper, 'Number 7s, implying that he will not return to the team as a mentor or coach) and will build a team like no other; however, Cantona has stated that he will not return to the club as a manager, even as a manager; however, although Cantona denies it.

Cantona was arrested and charged with an act of common assault on Regent's Park Road in Camden, North London, in March 2014. The patient did not need medical attention.

In August 2019, Cantona was given the UEFA President's Award. He began dressing in a flat cap and quoted William Shakespeare's King Lear: "As flies to wanton boys we are for the gods" he quoted science, war, and murder. The ethereal audience listened in silence, similar to the reaction to his "seagulls" press conference in 1995.

International career

Cantona's national team manager, Henri Michel, made his international debut against West Germany in August 1987. In a post-match television interview, Cantona described Michel as a "bag of shit" and was barred from all international matches in September 1988, angered after being dropped from the national team. Michel was fired shortly after that foregoing to qualify for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Michel Platini was the new coach, and one of his first moves was to recall Cantona. Platini said that although he was working as a coach, Cantona would be selected for France as long as he was playing top-class football; it was Platini who started Cantona's career in England, who continued his career. France qualified for Euro 1992 held in Sweden, but they were unable to win a single game despite Cantona and Jean-Pierre Papin's striking alliance. Platini resigned after the finals were to be replaced by Gérard Houllier.

France failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup in the United States after losing the final game 2–1 at home to Bulgaria, when a draw would have sufficed. Houllier resigned, and Aimé Jacquet took over. Jacquet began to rebuild the national team ahead of Euro 96, while Cantona was appointed captain. Cantona was captain until the Selhurst Park incident in January 1995. He was banned from participating in international competitions as a result of this incident.

By the time Cantona's suspension was complete, he had lost his position as the team's playmaker to Zinedine Zidane, as Jacquet had reformed the squad with some new names. Cantona, Papin, and David Ginola were all unable to be drafted for the French team again, thus missing Euro 96. Despite widespread media skepticism surrounding Cantona's omission, the team had performed well without Cantona, and Jacquet said he wanted to keep up with the players that had not been criticized so far. Cantona said in a 2015 interview with French radio network France Info, that if he had been involved with the national team, he might have stayed active in the 1998 World Cup, which is held in Cantona's home country. Cantona also feels the resentment of those at the helm of his national team, but also admiration for his adopted football nation; at Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup, he favoured England rather than France.

Post-playing career

He spent his remaining time in French cinema, after being banned from football in 1995. He accepted a role as a French ambassador in Elizabeth, an English film (1990). He directed Apporte-moi ton amour, a short film made in 2002. In Jack Says, Britain's first independent film, he appeared as a mystic barroom philosopher, who was released to DVD in September 2008. In Ken Loach's Palme D'or nominated film Looking for Eric (2009), he co-produced and appeared as director Thierry Grimandi in French Film (2009), and he was co-producer and a lead actor. In the Danish western The Salvation, which premiered at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2014, he plays The Corsican.

In January 2020, Cantona appeared in Liam Gallagher's "Once" music video.

Cantona has been featured in commercials for Nike's sportswear brand. He was involved in a Nike commercial campaign in 1994 that featured a black and white photo of himself in front of the English flag with the caption: "66 was a good year for English football." Eric was born" in the United States. In 1996, he was the central figure in a Nike commercial titled "Good vs Evil" in a gladiatorial game set in a Roman amphitheatre. They defend "the beautiful game" against a team of demon warriors from around the world, including Ronaldo, Paolo Maldini, Lu's Figo, Patrick Kluivert, and Jorge Campos. Cantona has been active in Nike commercials since being banned from professional football in 1997, many in a non playing role. In 1997, he appeared in Nike's "Park Life" commercial (set to Blur's "Parklife"), where a group of pub league players playing amateur football at Hackney Marshes in east London are quickly joined by top Premier League footballers, including Cantona, Ian Wright, David Seaman, and Robbie Fowler. In 2000, "Park Life" was ranked 15 in Channel 4's Top 100 Greatest TV Ads poll.

Cantona played the organiser of "underground" games (branded by Nike as "Scorpion KO") in a commercial directed by Terry Gilliam, which takes place between football players including Thierry Henry, Ronaldinho, Francesco Totti, Roberto Carlos, and Hidetoshi Nakata in a global Nike advertising campaign in the run-up to the 2002 World Cup. Cantona appeared in a Nike commercial promoting the Joga Bonito group, an association attempting to ban acting and fake play from football. He appeared in a Eurostar commercial in 1996 and an Irish EuroMillions commercial in 2004. He appeared in a British television commercial for a new version of the Renault Laguna in 2009.

Cantona became captain of the French national beach soccer team shortly after his release from Manchester United in 1997, gaining an interest in the sport through his brother Joel, who was already a member of the French national team traveling the world to play matches. Cantona's interest in beach soccer continued to grow in southern Asia and at the Inaugural Kronenbourg Beach Soccer Cup in 2002 in Brighton, England.

Cantona was a key to beach soccer's development in the early years, as a leader in the sport's recruitment, attracting fans to beach soccer games and then helping promote the game, saying, "Physically it is difficult, technically it is impossible, and tactically it is impossible." We must work really hard and train together, and we must train often together. Beach Soccer has everything you need to be a success."

He enjoyed a lot in his role as he supervised and participated in the French team that won their first European championship and the inaugural FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in 2005 in Rio de Janeiro, France's first and only World title to date. This was Cantona's last year as an athlete. However, he continued to mentor the French national team at the 2006 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, which finished third overall. Cantona enjoyed another fruitful year as boss in 2007, taking France to fourth place in the World Cup and just missing out on a second European title, finishing runners-up to Portugal after losing 7–6 in the final of the 2007 Euro Beach Soccer League. For the first time in 2008, the World Cup was held in France; however, Cantona was unable to make the top four after losing to Italy in the quarter finals.

Cantona's demise as head coach in 2009 was sealed in 2010, not only did France fail in qualifying for the forthcoming World Cup again, but also relegated the national team from Division B of the Euro Beach Soccer League down to Division B after struggling, as boss, for the first time in 2009. Cantona resigned as the team's boss in 2011, after nearly 15 years in the organization. In an article titled "10 Legends of Beach Soccer," the magazine France Football ranked Cantona fourth.

On January 18, 2011, the Frenchman's return to football as their Director of Soccer was announced by the New York Cosmos. On his arrival, Cantona talked to the media that he would help Cosmos "regain the top spot in the United States and then...to become one of the world's best clubs over the next two years." Cantona was fired by the club after a clash with a photographer, and the Cosmos sued the Cosmos in May 2015 for nearly $1 million in back pay and a promised 4% equity stake. Cosmos denied his allegations, insisting that his position as Director of Soccer was largely ceremonial, and that Cantona's true work was as "a promoter and brand ambassador." The two parties later agreed to dismiss the complaint, although the terms of a settlement were not disclosed.

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