In 1995, Eric Cantona caused a scandal by attacking a fan. However, his trainer Sir Alex Ferguson’s reaction came as a surprise.
It was 0-0 at the break before French superstar Eric Cantona blew his fuse shortly after the break. In the 49th minute he was sent off after an alleged assault, but the scandal followed when he went into the catacombs.
Cantona trudged past the numerous home fans, scorn and ridicule were his companions. Suddenly he jumped and flew feet first into the audience – and hit a fan. This is said to have insulted Cantona’s origin and mother, the fan later rejected the allegations.
Football was still played afterwards, even if everything was supposed to revolve around the Frenchman’s scandalous action, for which he was banned for nine months. Shortly thereafter, United took the lead through David May, in the 80th minute the current England coach Gareth Southgate was supposed to equalize and at the same time make the final. A used day for the Red Devils, so was the mood of coach Sir Alex Ferguson after the final whistle.
“He came into the dressing room and was furious,” former United man Lee Sharpe recalled. “The door almost lifted it off its hinges, he slammed it shut so hard. His ears steamed and his mouth foamed.”
United manager Ferguson threw sandwiches around the room
In the middle of the room were shelves with “cups full of tea and a platter of sandwiches”. “They flew all over the cabin,” Sharpe continued. “We got scalded and egg sandwiches hit each other in the neck. We looked at each other and thought, ‘Then how is he supposed to freak out at Cantona?”
But first, Ferguson made fun of the players, telling each one how inept they were and that even his grandmother could outrun the pros. “You guys are a bloody disgrace,” he yelled. “Tomorrow is training at nine o’clock, you’re going to hurt your damn balls in training!”
Only then did he turn towards Cantona, lower his voice and say dryly, “Eric, you just can’t do things like that, son.” Not more.
Sharpe’s descriptions were also confirmed by May. “I thought to myself: Is that all? IS THAT ALL? He would have washed the head of any other player. I got my fat off for not marking someone as I should.”
It’s no secret that Cantona held special status with Ferguson. For example, the Scottish coaching legend turned down a transfer from Zidane Zidane a few months later to “convince Cantona to stay after his suspension,” former club president Martin Edwards once revealed Gazzetta dello Sport. With success. Cantona finally ended his career at Old Trafford in 1997 with his fifth Premier League title.
