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Last show: 30 years since Eric Cantona's last game in the French league
When the striker Nim heard the referees remove him from four games because he threw a ball at the referee, the blood rose to his head and all the apologies went to hell.
It started with curses, continued with a double sentence and ended with a retirement announcement.
Platini and the psychologist brought him back to the pitch and sent him to England, and the rest is history
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Eric Cantona
Nim
France
Walla!
sport
Tuesday, 07 December 2021, 13:30
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Eric Cantona is sent off in his last game in the French league (YouTube)
On December 7, 1991, exactly 30 years ago, Nim hosted Saint-Etienne to play in the 21st round of the French league. On December 7, 1991, exactly 30 years ago, Eric Cantona made his last appearance in the French league.
The team from the south of France recovered from a deep crisis with a narrow 0: 1 in Toulouse, but against Saint-Etienne they fell behind in the 43rd minute and all the negative emotions from the bad period were flooded. The guest played in 10 players, but Nim could not balance and the pressure skyrocketed.
In the 82nd minute Eric Cantona took control of a ball with the help of the chest about 16 meters from the goal, but the referee Daniel Romeo whistled for the offense of the striker with the elbow. Cantona boiled, took the ball in his hands and slammed it into the referee. He added a loud protest and started to leave the pitch even before Romeo pulled out the red card.
Nim's numerical advantage was lost, but with 10 players to 10, she managed to equalize in the 90th minute.
Cantona was already in the locker room and after the final whistle he also attacked guest Sylvan Kastendush.
Fortunately, the last incident was not included in the judgment report.
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Called each of the judges an "idiot," got out of court, took a cab and drove home (Photo: GettyImages, Shaun Botterill)
Cantona had a hard time bearing the thought of a month out, but the pain was doubly great when he realized he could not play against Marseille.
And how much he wanted to beat the ex
"I'm sure it was done in a moment of nerves, I knew that Eric will absorb punishment restraining few games, but I was not prepared for what happened next," said Nim later Vice Chairman at the time, Michel Mazi.
Cantona appeared in the court of the French Football Association, admitted mistake and regretted it. "he seemed ready to make a correction, until the sentence was issued," wrote Le Soir. "when the striker heard the judges distance him from four games, apologies, regrets, pleas for forgiveness - all went flex.
pioneer liked to be on the field More than anything and he had a hard time bearing the thought of a month out, but the pain was doubly great when he realized he could not play against Marseille in the 25th round. And as much as he wanted to beat the ex. "You're an idiot." Immediately afterwards he got out of court, grabbed a taxi and drove home.
The referees' reaction was unforgiving and they doubled the suspension: instead of four games away, he was now sentenced to eight.
"He thought he would be kept out of two games, maybe three," Mazi added, "but after being told he was sent off for four games, one of which was against Marseille, he went crazy."
"The bad boy of French football has struck once again," La Soare wrote the day after his retirement announcement (Photo: GettyImages, Getty Images)
Depressed and nervous, Cantona announced the next day: I am retiring from football. The event was so large and well-publicized that a meeting between him and the club's heads was also summoned by the mayor of Nimes, Jean Bosque. The latter was also the one who informed the media that the eccentric striker's three-year contract had been canceled due to his desire to hang up his shoes, but that he was obliged to return to the club ranks upon returning to play football.
"The bad boy of French football has struck once again," La Soer wrote on December 13, 1991, a day after Cantona's dramatic announcement. He was only 25 years old, but the paper published his long conviction sheet, which included physical and verbal assaults by coaches, teammates and opponents, extreme behaviors and even a 10-month suspension from the team.
But Cantona loved football too much.
Michel Platini and Gerard Hoya supported him and asked him to reconsider his retirement and when Marseille and Leeds United took an interest in him, his psychologist gave him the best advice he had probably received in his sporting life: "Do not return to Marseille, you must change atmosphere. Move to England".
Leeds paid Nim £ 100,000 and the rest is history for which an infinite number of words have already been written.
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