Shanghai: Famed for his unusual pronouncements, the ever-unpredictable Eric Cantona said on Tuesday that Paris Saint-German and Argentina midfielder Javier Pastore is the best player in world football.
The former France and Manchester United striker once raised eyebrows with a cryptic statement about seagulls, a trawler and sardines as he was besieged by the English media in the mid-1990s after lashing out at an abusive rival fan with a kung-fu kick.
This time he did so apparently without malice or mischief when asked at a Laureus World Sports Awards media briefing at the Shanghai Grand Theatre about who is better: the current three-time Fifa Ballon d’or winner Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi.
Of Pastore, who locks horns with his compatriot Messi in Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg between Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, Cantona said: “For me, today, the best player in the world, the most exciting player in the world, is Pastore from Paris Saint-Germain. Why? Because I watched two games just to see Pastore playing, giving passes.
“He has got something special. Because football is interactive. It’s why the footballer is so popular, I think.”
The 48-year-old added of the playmaker, who joined PSG from Italian side Palermo in 2011 for a reported €39.8 million (Dh154.7 million) : “Pastore can do things that the other ones don’t know. It’s interactive but he does things that surprise you every time. Not only in scoring goals, spectacular goals — everything. Just passing. Passing. He’s a very creative player. He’s the most creative player, I think, in the world today.
“It’s why I think he’s the best player in the world, because I love this kind of player.”
Cantona was speaking ahead of Wednesday’s Laureus World Sports Awards in Shanghai, where he was joined on Tuesday by fellow football luminaries such as Fabio Capello and Ruud Gullit.
The current manager of Russia, Capello disagreed with Cantona’s surprise assertion about Pastore by insisting: “Messi is absolutely the best in the world.”
Netherlands, Chelsea and AC Milan legend Ruud Gullit would not be drawn on who he ranks as the finest player on the planet, however.
He did praise Messi and Ronaldo for being ‘exceptional players’, though and added: “We are very blessed.”
The Dutchman added that the two stars are benefiting from the ‘competition’ of rivalling each other, while past eras featured a single peerless performer such as Pele, Johan Cruyff and Diego Maradona.
