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Topics: Eric Cantona, FIFA, Football, Man Utd, Manchester United, UEFA
James Taylor
Topics: Eric Cantona, FIFA, Football, Man Utd, Manchester United, UEFA
Eric Cantona has called for FIFA and UEFA to ban Israel from international football, as he drew comparisons to Russia.
The legendary former Manchester United star has never shied away from speaking on political issues. Back in 2019, he made headlines when he quoted Shakespeare while accepting the UEFA President's Award.
Now, Cantona has once again taken a strong stance, as he urged FIFA and UEFA to impose a ban on Israel, similar to the one enforced against Russia. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, UEFA banned both the national team and its club from all competitions.
The ban remains in place, meaning Russia will not feature at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. It has fuelled calls within football for a similar suspension of Israel.
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Since the conflict began in October 2023, more than 65,000 people have been called in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
As a result, voices across the sporting world have demanded Israel's exclusion from football. Cantona made his comments at the 'Together for Palestine' concert at Ovo Arena Wembley.
He took to the stage at an event which included music stars: Damon Albarn, Bastille and PinkPantheress and film stars such as Benedict Cumberbatch.
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Cantona said: "Four days after Russia started the war in Ukraine, FIFA and UEFA suspended Russia. We are now 716 days into what Amnesty International have called a genocide.
"And yet, Israel continue to be allowed to participate."
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has defended the decision not to ban Israel.
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In a recent interview, he said that he's not in favour of banning athletes, as he perceives them to be blameless.
He told Politico: “Look, first of all, what’s happening with civilians there is personally hurting, killing me. From the other point of view, I’m not a supporter of banning the athletes.
"Because what can an athlete do to their government to stop the war? It’s very, very hard.
"Now, the ban for Russian teams is, I think, three and a half years. Did the [Ukraine] war stop? It didn’t.”
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Despite the controversy, Israel remain active in international football.. The national team continue to participate in World Cup qualifiers, losing their most recent game 5-4 to Italy.
Ahead of that match, the Italian Football Coaches Association published an open letter demanding Israel's suspension.
At club level, Maccabi Tel-Aviv will participate in this year's UEFA Europa League. One of their games will see them travel to England, when they take on Aston Villa in November.