Why Is Zlatan Ibrahimovic Attracting Eric Cantona Comparisons at Man United?

Eric Cantona spent the summer of 2016 making a series of stylish, opinionated videos for Eurosport, meaning he was squarely in football’s public eye when Zlatan Ibrahimovic signed for Manchester United.

Cantona said (h/t Sky Sports):

I have a personal message for Zlatan: You decided to go red. It is the best choice you ever made.

When you walk into the Theatre of Dreams. When you can feel the ghosts of the legends that have been here before. When you score that first goal right in front of Stretford End. When you hear the crowd chanting your name.

When your heart beats so strong that it bursts out of your chest. When you feel that you will love them as much as they will love you. You will know, my friend, that you finally made it home.

Just one last thing, there can only be one King in Manchester. You can be the Prince if you want to. And the No. 7 is yours if you are interested. That is my welcome gift to you… The King is gone! Long live the Prince!

“There can only be one King in Manchester”. Eric Cantona’s back… and he has a message for @Ibra_official https://t.co/rtG4kWJiSb

— Eurosport (@Eurosport) July 9, 2016

Ibrahimovic responded in classic Zlatan style—presumably with tongue firmly in cheek. He told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet (h/t Sky Sports again), “I admire Cantona and I heard what he said. “But I won’t be King of Manchester. I will be God of Manchester.”

It was a public interchange full of humour from both men and pathos on Cantona’s part.

The Frenchman’s pubic love letter to the Stretford End spoke volumes for the depth of his attachment to United and United’s attachment to him.

Cantona’s impact on Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United is hard to overstate. For those not fortunate to have lived through the Reds’ renaissance, the timeline was as follows.

In the season before he arrived, the Red Devils had seen a bona fide title challenge collapse as Cantona’s Leeds won the First Division—the final season before the English top flight was rebranded. By November 26 of the following season, United had played 16, won six, drawn six and lost four.

Then they signed Cantona, out of favour at Leeds, and everything changed. From then till the end of the season, they played 26, won 18, drew six and lost just two. Cantona scored nine goals and provided a talismanic presence.

A season later, they won the league and FA Cup double—and made it to the final of the league cup. Then came the emergence of the Class of ’92 into the first team.

It is hard to overstate the impact Cantona had on that most stellar crop of young players. Ryan Giggs, who provided plenty of assists for the Frenchman during his time at United, said in his 1994 book My Story (h/t the club’s website):

When you see Eric Cantona staying on for extra training, brushing up …

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