Cantona the legend. Cantona the enigma. Cantona the King.
Eric Cantona was at Manchester United for just five years, yet his legacy and influence endure. Over that period, he became the first foreigner to be voted best player by sports journalists, was crowned player of the century by the team’s supporters, and voted the most emblematic player in the Premier League during its opening decade. The Frenchman fascinated both fans of the game and those who knew nothing about football – a hugely popular player who showed mercurial talent on the pitch, but one who remains almost unknown away from it.
Claude Boli met Cantona at the very beginning of his playing career in France, when he was a teammate to Boli’s brothers. They shared an apartment, passions for music, literature, art and, of course, football. In 1992 Cantona moved to Manchester, where Boli was studying at the university. They spent virt
