What inspired Eric Cantona's bizarre speech at UEFA awards in 2019

Updated: 27 May, 2024 • 0 • min read

Table of Contents

What inspired Eric Cantona's bizarre speech at UEFA awards in 2019

Manchester United great Eric Cantona has revealed the inspiration behind his bizarre speech at a UEFA awards ceremony in 2019.

The player-turned-actor was invited to UEFA's Champions League group stage draw in Monte Carlo to receive the UEFA President's Award.

Whilst most of the male attendees wore smart suits, Cantona was dressed casually in a flat cap and red shirt as he took to the stage to deliver his acceptance speed.

What then followed was one of the oddest speeches known to man.

As flies to wanton boys we are for the gods, they kill us for their sport.

Soon the science will not only be able to slow down the ageing of the cells, soon the science will fix the cells to the state and so we will become eternal.

Only accidents, crimes, wars, will still kill us but unfortunately, crimes, wars, will multiply.

I love football. Thank you.

The whole room was perplexed by Cantona's speech, and that was emphasised by the reactions of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo look confused with Eric Cantona's bizarre speech at UEFA awards in 2019

Although it seemed as though the French maverick had managed to put together another random selection of words, Cantona's odd speech was actually inspired by Shakespeare.

READ MORE: Hollywood actor Shia LaBeouf channels his inner Eric Cantona

Cantona later explained to United's official website that his words were inspired by some topical reading on the day.

I didn't think about the speech, really.

I was reading in the morning an article about an exhibition in Paris on Francis Bacon, and I read that he used to like this sentence, from King Lear, Shakespeare. I started doing that.

The speech brought back memories of Cantona's famous "seagulls and trawler" speech following his infamous kung-fu kick towards a Crystal Palace fan during a game at Selhurst Park in 1995.