Legendary former Manchester United star Eric Cantona has revealed that he offered his services to take up an inaugural president of football role at the club last year.
In a recent interview with The Athletic, the French icon detailed several meetings with former executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward about creating and filling the role to help the club improve on the football side of the business, but Woodward shut down his proposition.
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This follows Manchester United receiving widespread criticism over the last few years for acting like a business rather than a football club. And 'King Eric' still feels that change is needed, despite not being appointed to help swing the balance.
Cantona said: “Last year I proposed to the club to change their way.
“Ed Woodward is great at marketing but not great at football. United should have a chairman and then they should have a president of marketing and then a president of football, who is in charge of all the decisions in football. So I proposed to them that I should be president of football.
“I met him a few times. But they did not accept it! I still think me or somebody else, they should have somebody for football. It should be somebody from the club, who knows football and the club.
“Since [Sir Alex] Ferguson retired in 2013, the club doubled their revenue but didn’t win anything. So imagine if you succeed in football and also have great people in marketing, then instead of doubling the revenue, then you would treble it. But they do not understand that. The club spends a lot of money. But you have to spend it well.”
Cantona spent five years at Old Trafford as a player, joining the club from rivals Leeds United. He helped the club to win four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and three FA Community Shields. In 182 appearances for the Red Devils, the forward went on to score on 82 occasions.
