Eric Cantona led Manchester United to four Premier League titles in his five seasons with the club and is therefore considered to be one of the best Manchester United players of all time.
Known as King Eric, Cantona led Manchester United with both goals and bravado.
And he is bringing that bravado to the Big Apple in his new role as Director of Soccer with the re-born New York Cosmos:
“I am very honoured to join the legendary New York Cosmos,” Cantona said. “It’s a big project, a wonderful project. The Cosmos are very strong, beautifully made, with a great past. It’s kind of a mix between football and art.
“I will do everything I can to help us first find our way to regain the No. 1 position in the United States, and then for us to become one of the best clubs in the world.”
Lofty aims for King Eric: One of the best clubs in the world? In other words like Manchester United?
Would love to see that for an American team. I guess it’s bound to happen someday, isn’t it? That an American club competes with the best clubs in the world?
American players are already playing in the best leagues in the World and the US national team is ranked among the best. So why not a club?
Why not Cantona’s new club?
One thing’s for sure – if the New York Cosmos hope to be among the best, Cantona’s going to have to sign some of the best players.
The Cosmos are legendary for having in their first life brought in aging stars like Pele and Franz Beckenbauer – among others – and putting soccer on the map in the United States in the 1970s and 80s.
But that approach won’t work in today’s tightly controlled and nicely marketed American pro league, Major League Soccer (MLS).
According to ESPNsoccernet.com, the Cosmos are going to try to develop some stars at home:
“The Cosmos have acquired two well-known youth soccer clubs in New York and Los Angeles, with the hope that they’ll produce a few starters by the time the club kicks off its inaugural season. In all, the Cosmos have invested more than $1 million in youth soccer. That’s twice the annual budget of D.C. United’s soccer academy, which has delivered the best players of any MLS club to date.”
Looks like the Cosmos are going big on the player development side.
But that’s just like their image isn’t it?
Big.
Like the cosmos we all inhabit.
Like the personality of new Director.
Cantona, King Eric, seems to be the perfect guy to marry the past with the future of the Cosmos.
May Eric be blessed with the best players – from home and abroad – and may he achieve his aim of making the Cosmos the best club in the world.
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