‘Kung Fu Kick Was Like A Dream’ – Eric Cantona Reminisces

Chris Wright

4th, March 2011

13 Comments

By Chris Wright

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-WmfTIRUWY

Looking back on his footballing career in an interview with the BBC, Manchester United legend Eric Cantona has described the moment that he vaulted the advertising hoardings and planted all twelve of his studs into an abusive Crystal Palace supporter’s midriff back in January 1995 as a ‘great feeling’ and a memory he hopes all United fans will treasure – despite the fact that his four-month ban effectively cost them the 1994/95 Premier League title.

Said Cantona:

“When I did the kung fu kick on the hooligan, because these kind of people don’t have to be at the game … it’s like a dream for some, you know sometimes to kick these kind of people.

“So I did it for the fans, so they are happy. It’s a kind of freedom for them. They [still] speak about that because maybe they felt it, because they felt something special physically – maybe it was a different feeling.

“It’s a great feeling, but different. I have seen so many players scoring goals, they know this kind of feeling.

“This one – a player jumping and kicking a hooligan – it’s not the kind of thing you see every day.”

Ah, Eric. God’s own prototype.

The full interview will be screened as part of the BBC’s Football Focus programme to be aired this Saturday afternoon.