Cantona blasts 'arrogant' French

Former Manchester United legend Eric Cantona has revealed he was cheering on England in Euro 2004 and has branded the French as “arrogant”.

Cantona, playing in a beach football tournament in Lisbon, told Record newspaper: “I am French but I was supporting England. It’s my country, I don’t want to know about France – I was born there but I feel English.”

The former French international said he was upset at England’s elimination from the Euro 2004 quarter-finals by Portugal, saying: “I was sad Portugal won - for me that should have been the final.”

He then blasted the negative attitude of the French, saying: “(In England) when a player is good like (Wayne) Rooney, they say he is good, they give him an incentive, they support him – the team-mates as well as the fans – whereas the French have only negative things to say about everything and everyone.

“They (the French) are arrogant and selfish and always need people to tell them they are the best.”