Lord God Jose Mourinho wrote:Quite frankly I think this whole campaign to put the blame on the supporter to be utterly ridiculous.
Cantona had just been red carded for kicking a Crystal Palace player. FFS there will be loads of abuse towards any opposition player after doing that. The reported abuse, calling him a "French motherlover" is neither racist nor abusing his mother. It's just a meaningless term of abuse, even to a faux-philosophical poet.
I can understand him being a United legend. He was a great player and virtually the whole country respected the ability he had. But Mintball's fantasizing about his "class" and the attempt to make Cantona the victim at Selhurst Park is just ridiculous. He was a great player, but he was also a head-case. I can understand Mintball's bad boy fascination with him and I can understand you defending a Man United legend, but that doesn't mean you get to completely rewrite history over him.
I think this is the first time ever but I agree wholeheartedly.
What Cantona did was unforgiveable. Professional footballers, or for that matter professional sportsman in general take abuse from opposition fans the world over. That's the way it is, maybe not right , but the way it is none-the-less. His reaction was completely OTT and in my opinion the punishment handed down to him was nowhere near severe enough.
Quality, quality player though. His celebration after his chip (against Sunderland I think), where he just stood with his chest puffed out will last long in the memory.....